A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I would be in very dire straits if I ever had to give up bread.  I just love breads of all kinds.  I can easily make a meal on nothing but bread, and have done so many times in the past.  And of course, with bread you have to have butter.  It just wouldn’t be the same without butter.  The late, great Julia Child would say “always add more butter.  You can never have too much butter”.  She was definitely a woman after my own heart and mind, and obviously taste buds too.  For my latest bread making adventure, I made whole wheat potato bread.  I’ve made it before, and loved it then, just as I do now.  My biggest problem is that there just isn’t enough time to make all the recipes I want to make and try, so I make new things and often forget about things I’ve made in the past.  Sometimes, I just need to flip through the pages of my many cookbooks to be reminded of all the delicious dishes I’ve made and enjoyed before, and then it is like making them for the first time all over again.  I had some leftover potatoes that I needed to use from when I made my loaded potato skins the other day, so I was specifically looking for a good potato bread recipe, and low and behold, I found quite a few.  Loaded Potato Skins

Potatoes are found all over the world, and therefore different versions of potato bread are found all over the world as well.  The earliest references to breads made from potatoes were from the early 18th century.  Making potato flour was first introduced during times of grain shortages, when using potato flour was much cheaper than using wheat or rye flour, and therefore became very popular.  People continued to make potato breads not only because at the time, the flour was cheaper, but also because the bread came out really moist, light and airy, and the flavor was very tasty.  Using potatoes gives the bread an earthy taste with a hearty texture.  Potato bread has withstood the tests of the times, and is just as popular today as it was back in the early 18th century, when it was first made.

 

2 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed

2 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 large egg at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt – I used dried buttermilk that i reconstituted with milk

1 TBSP oil – I used olive oil, but you can us whatever type of cooking oil you like

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp salt

3-4 cups white flour

If you are making your potatoes at the same time you are making your bread, reserve the cooking water.  If you are using leftover potatoes, you will need to add more water.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and creamy.

Mix the wheat flour and the salt together.

Beat the egg, and add 1 cup of either the reserved potato water or plain water and mix it with the buttermilk or yogurt.  You want enough liquid to make 2 1/2 cups.  Then add the potatoes, add the wheat flour and mix well.  Add the white flour 1 cup at a time.  You want a nice soft dough, so use as much flour as the dough can stand without making it too hard and difficult to work with.  The remaining flour can be spread on your surface to work and knead the dough until it forms into a soft ball.

Once the dough is ready and has been shaped into a large ball, add about 1-1 1/2 TBSP of oil to the bowl and spread it all around, then rub the dough ball with the oil as well.  This is to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl and keeps the dough moist.

Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has completed its first rise, punch it down and return the dough to the floured surface.  Cut the dough in half to make two dough rounds.  Add some cooking spray and corn meal to the bottom of a baking sheet, then place the dough rounds on top of the corn meal.  With a knife, score the top of the dough rounds, then add a light dusting of flour to the tops.  Cover and let rise again for about another 45 minutes, or until they dough rounds double in size yet again.  Preheat the oven to 400*F about 30 minutes before you put the bread in the oven, to make sure it is very hot.

When the dough is ready, place it on the center rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the bread is brown and has a hollow sound when tapped.  Spray the inside of the oven and the loaves with water a few times within the first ten minutes of baking to ensure a nice crust.  Once the bread is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least a few minutes before cutting.

This recipe makes two medium sized loaves of bread.  Once the bread is ready, butter it up and enjoy a slice or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef stroganoff is a dish that originated in Russia.  It was originally made with beef strips coated in flour that were sauteed and sour cream, or smetana.  Back then,  it did not have either mushrooms or onions in the recipe.  The earliest mention of the dish was in 1871, when it was found in a cookbook called “The Gift to Young Housewives”, which was often given as a gift to young brides as a wedding gift.  There are two theories of how the dish got its name.  One is that it was named after one of the influential family members of the Stroganoff family, and the other theory is that the name came from the Russian verb  CTPOraTb, or strogate, meaning to chip or shave off, also known as strogania.  The dish became very popular in Chinese restaurants and hotels after the fall of Tsarist Russia, before WWII.  After WWII, it was brought to the United States by the Russian and Chinese immigrants, as well as the American servicemen returning home from serving abroad in WWII.  It became a popular dish in the United States during the 1950’s.  Today, beef stroganoff is a popular dish around the world.  Because of it’s world wide popularity, there are many, many different versions of this beloved dish.  The most popular way to prepare this dish is with beef and sour cream, however, in other parts of the world it is made differently.  For instance, in Brazil, it is made with tomato sauce and heavy cream.  In the Nordic countries, it is often made with sausage and is known as korv-stroganoff.  Some versions add vegetables and others do not.  In some places, it is served almost like a borscht, or as a red stew with a dollup of sour cream served separately on top.  Here in the United States, as well as in Australia and the UK, it is most often made with mushrooms and onions, served over either noodles or rice.  It can also be served over mashed potatoes.  This is how I have always made it too.  But then I am an American who is also half Aussie, so this is how I learned how to make it and enjoy it.

Getting everything ready.  Any kind of meat can be used, and it can be cut however you like it.  I used a chuck steak and cut it in thin strips.  I sliced the mushrooms and onions in thin slices.  I also add a little garlic and paprika to my sauce as well.

Beef Stroganoff with Mushrooms and Onions

2 lbs of meat, cut into thin strips (you can also use chicken or sausage if you prefer)

1-1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced thin

1/2 onion, sliced thin

1 TBSP garlic

3/4 cup flour

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP paprika

2 cups sour cream (you can substitute plain yogurt as well, or use a combination of both.  I use both, and often times use a combination.  it really kind of depends on what I have on hand at the time.)

olive oil and/or butter

cooked noodles or rice, or mashed potatoes

 

After the meat was all cut into thin strips, I coated it and tossed it all with flour.  The flour helps brown the meat and adds a bit more texture to it, plus it also acts as a thickening agent for the sauce.

Saute the mushrooms, onions, and garlic, if using, together in either olive oil or butter, or a combination of both.  The butter gives it a real rich flavor.  Cook until the onions are translucent and soft.  Once they are cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.

In the same pan, brown the meat, adding more butter and/or olive oil as needed.  This is when I add my salt, pepper and paprika as well.  Cook the meat until it has browned and cooked completely.

Once the meat is cooked, add the mushrooms and onions and mix well.  Then add your sour cream and/or yogurt.  You may need to adjust the seasonings at this point too.  Mix everything together and incorporate well.

It is now ready to served over rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes.  I served my stroganoff over cooked egg noodles, with carrots sauteed in honey butter, and warm rosemary bread on the side.  To complete the meal, I poured a glass of a rich, Argentine malbec.  A perfect fall meal.

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon, the weather was in the 70″s, and it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.  Late Saturday evening, it snowed, and we had about 3-4 inches of snow.  By Sunday afternoon, a lot of the snow had already melted, but it was still super cold.  We went to the Broncos/Rams game in Denver, and the high was only about 20*F at the game.  Today, aside from a few remaining remnants of snow, one would never even know it had snowed at all, and once again, the weather is warm and sunny.  This is so typical of Colorado weather.   You don’t know how to dress, let alone how to cook.  For both knowing how to dress and knowing how to cook with this unpredictable weather, my best advice is to dress in layers and to be flexible with your recipes.  It works.

Considering the weather was still so wishy-washy last night, I chose to have some leftover cream of chicken soup that I took out of the freezer The Queen is in the Kitchen Again and served it along with some delicious loaded potato skins.  That was a perfect combination for a relatively light meal that was still satisfying but hearty enough to warm us up from the inside out.  And of course, there was wine.  I served a cool, crisp chardonnay with hints of green apples and melons.

It doesn’t take too much at all to make these delicious loaded potato skins.  All you need are potatoes, green onions, bacon, and cheese, and olive oil with some Tobasco, and chili powder (optional) to add a little bit more of a kick.

Wash and scrub the potatoes really well, making sure to scrub off all the excess dirt.  Keep the skins on the potatoes and stab them a few times with a fork, to release steam and pressure when they cook, so they don’t explode.  Then stick them in the microwave for about 20 minutes or until they are soft and tender.  I turned mine over at about 10 minutes.

As the potatoes are cooking and cooling, dice your tomatoes, green onions and bacon.

Pan-fry the bacon pieces to your desired doneness.

 

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, gently scoop out the cooked insides, leaving about 1/4 inch around.  Save the potato filling and use it for something else (you know you will see these used again in another post, so stay tuned).    Before loading up the “skins”, coat them with olive oil, both inside and on the bottom, then sprinkle a little Tobasco and chili powder to them, if you want your skins with a bit more kick.  Then start loading them up how you like, and bake at 450* F for 10-12 minutes.

Once the skins are cooked, you can top them with your choice of sour cream, ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing.  These can be eaten as a snack, or an appetizer, or part of the main meal.  Either way, the skins hit the spot.

 

 

 

Denver is quite an international city as far as food goes.  There is a rich and diverse food culture all throughout the Denver metro area.  Brazil is one of the countries represented through food and there are a few Brazilian restaurants located around town.  One of our favorites is Rodizio Grill, the Brazilian Steakhouse, which you can contact at rodizio.com.  We do not go there very often, but we love it when we do.  You have to make sure you bring a good, hearty appetite when visiting, because the food just keeps coming, and it is all so good, it is really hard to stop.

We have never eaten at any other Brazilian steakhouses, but from what I hear Rodizio is pretty typical of how they work.  You are given a block that is red and green.   Green means go, and when the green side is up, the waiters just keep bringing around different kinds of meat that they cut and serve right at your table.  Red means stop.  Once the red side is up, the waiters know not to come back to your table, unless they see the green side up again.  There is no limit except for what your tummy can hold.  The waiters are almost always typically men, dressed in traditional gaucho style attire.  The gauchos are the cowboys of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and were once the national symbols of these countries.  The gauchos were very proud, traditional horsemen.  Their diets were almost exclusively meats, and that is why the Brazilian steakhouses offer so much meat and so many meat varieties as their menu.

Once we were seated, our server brought up some hot fried bananas rolled in cinnamon, known as banana fritas.  These are delicious, and best when they are eaten hot.

Although the main attraction in a Brazilian steakhouse is meat, and lots of it, in many different varieties, there is also a delicious and extensive salad bar too, serving both American style salads as well as Brazilian style salads and vegetables.  There were two sides to this salad bar, with a side bar that served hot vegetables and bread.   Unless you are there for the salads, which are all very good, DON’T fill up on the salads though.  The main attraction is on it’s way, and does not stop coming until you say so.

This is just a small representation of the different items served on the salad bar.  I had some marinated mushrooms, beets, olives, quinoa salad and some crab salad.  I was already full, after this, but the main attraction is the meat, and I was not about to pass that up.

The gaucho waiters are serving up lots of varieties of meats, directly off the hot skewers.  A Brazilian steakhouse is a carnivore’s dream.  There are so many different types of meats, that just keep coming, until they red side of the block is up.  This is just a mere sampling of what they offered.  There were many different varieties of steak, wild boar, chicken, pork, sausage, and so much more.  We tried little slivers of all of these, but we were so full after.  You wouldn’t think a bit or two of so many different meats would fill you up so much, but trust me, they do.  Those little bites or two quickly add up to a lot of little bites.  We certainly could not eat like this on a regular basis, but it is a fun dining experience when we do.

 

We eat and love a wide variety of foods, and we love all kinds of ethnic foods too.  We had not had any Chinese food in a while, so I decided to make some sesame chicken.  The funny thing is that the day after I made it, we went out with my husband’s brother, ironically for Chinese food.  Needless to say, neither of us ordered the sesame chicken since we just had it, but mine looked just as good as the Chinese restaurant’s version.  I can’t help myself.  I am very competitive, in many areas, and I always like to see where I stand and how I compare to others.  Maybe that’s why I have always been good in sport too, but I digress.  That’s a totally different story.

I served my sesame chicken over white rice and with sauteed green beans with red peppers, mushrooms, garlic and onions, some fried potstickers and a glass or two of a crisp chardonnay with hints of apple and melon.  The fruity chardonnay complimented the spicy/sweet combination of the sesame chicken very well.

Sesame Chicken

2 TBSP flour

2 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 TBSP soy sauce (I used light soy sauce)

1 TBSP dry sherry

2 TBSP water

1 tsp canola or olive oil

dash of sesame oil (I used sesame chili oil)

1 lb chicken, cubed

cooking oil

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the soy sauce, sherry, water, oil, and sesame sauce.  Mix together well, then add the chicken cubes and let marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

 The Sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup sugar

2 TBSP white vinegar

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP sesame oil

1 TBSP chili paste

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 TBSP dried orange peel and/or orange spice (I used orange ginger spice)

3/4 cup water

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

green onions, sliced Asian style (optional for topping)

 

Mix the chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, garlic and orange spice together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Mix the cornstarch and the water together well, making sure all the cornstarch is dissolved and mix with the sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water as needed.

In a deep fryer, heat the oil  to 375* F, and add the chicken pieces, a few at a time.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is is golden brown and floats to the top.  Continue until all the chicken is cooked.  Your chicken should be light and crispy.

Once everything is cooked, serve the chicken over rice and top with the sauce and the toasted sesame seeds and green onion, if using.  this is better than Chinese take-out, and it is in the comfort of your own home.

 

 

 

 

I love pumpkin.  I love everything pumpkin.  In the fall, I usually get into my pumpkin moods, and make a lot of dishes with some kind of pumpkin.  Pumpkin is just the perfect fall food, I think.  I love the taste of pumpkins, but they are also very healthy for you too.  The Flavors of Fall

I am definitely a bread person, and love to have bread of some sort with my dinner.  So when I came across this recipe for pumpkin-Parmesan bread, I was very excited to try it out.  Boy, am I glad I did too.  I love it!  It is a little bit sweet, from the pumpkin and the sugar, but with the addition of the Parmesan cheese and sage, it makes it a bit more savory.  The combinations of flavors work perfectly together.  You can top it with a little butter or creme fraiche, whichever you prefer.  I served it with my beef short ribs.  It made for a perfect fall meal.  A Simple Fall Feast

Pumpkin-Parmesan Bread

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 large eggs,

1 1/4 cup canola oil

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1/3 cup fresh sage or rosemary, or a combination of both

 

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray

 

Mix the flour and all the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Slightly beat the eggs, then mix with the canola oil and add to the flour mixture.  Once those are combined well, add the pumpkin and about 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and mix well.

Divide the batter equally into the two loaf pans, and spread it evenly in the pans.   Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let cool before eating.  then sit back and enjoy the flavors of the season.

With all the eggs, it came out so light and fluffy.  Delicious!

 

 

Recently, a dear friend of mine asked me if I ever used a slow cooker.  Sure I do.  I admit, I don’t use it all that much, but I do use it for quite a few things.  Some things just need to be cooked slow and easy in order for all the flavors to really come to life.  I don’t know about most people, but I do know that I do not have enough time to stay at home watching over a pot of something that needs hours and hours to cook.  I am way too busy to do that.  That’s what slow cookers are for.  Put your ingredients into the slow cooker, turn it on the appropriate heat and temperature, cook it for as long as it needs to cook and walk away.   A few hours later, Voila!  Your dish is done.

Usually when I cook ribs, especially when I cook beef short ribs.  I will cook them in a slow cooker.  I have tried them in the oven, and I have tried boiling them before putting them on the grill, but to me, they come out best when cooked nice and slow, in the slow cooker.  The meat just falls right off the bone, and melts in your mouth.  I think that is rib perfection when that happens.  And this is exactly what I did for last night’s dinner.  I slow cooked some beef short ribs for about 6 1/2 hours, at a medium-high temperature.  When I took them out of the slow cooker, they were so tender and juicy.  I topped them with an apple butter BBQ sauce that I made, and served them with the leftover scalloped potatoes and some steamed vegetables.  I also made some pumpkin parmesan cheese bread to serve along side, with a glass of zinfandel to complete the meal.  It was just the perfect warm, comforting meal for a cold, frigid day.

 

Ribs are like so may other dishes where people brag about their ribs and how they cook them, and often times the recipes are handed down through the generations..  So I don’t dare tell anyone how to cook them.  Those are waters I don’t care to venture in.  There are so many different methods and good sauces and rubs out there, so I say, to each his/her own, and make them the way you like them.  I am only offering up one other way to make them.  Even I try them out in different ways all the time too, and make different sauces as well.   This time I used an orange-ginger rub, dried onions, garlic and cinnamon, about 1 heaping TBSP of each.  I placed the ribs in the slow cooker, then added my flavorings and topped the slow cooker with water, probably about 4 cups of water.  I cooked them at a medium-high temperature, or setting #3 on my slow cooker, for about 6 1/2 hours.

While the ribs were cooking, I made my sauce.  Again, I use and make all kinds of different sauces all the time.  This time, I made a more fall-like sauce to go with the season.

Apple-Butter BBQ Sauce

1 heaping TBSP garlic

1/4 cup dried onions

3-4 TBSP molasses

1 1/2 cups apple butter

3-4 TBSP Edith’s Best Triple A Sauce

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 TBSP orange-ginger rub

Mix everything together chill before serving.

 

**** Sadly to say, I have now used up all my Edith’s Best Triple A Sauce, and now I need to get some more.  Since I do not live in Florida, I am going to have to order some from Amazon until they start selling it in stores nationwide.  If you have an opportunity to try this sauce, do so.  It is absolutely delicious! Sauce It Up with Edith’s Best

 

Again, our weather is cold and crisp outside.  Today we even have hints of snow in the air, though none has fallen yet.  It is a perfect day for something warm and comforting right out of the oven.  It is a perfect day for roasted chicken, with scalloped potatoes and roasted fall vegetables.

Since I work nights, I usually get everything prepared and leave my husband cooking instructions for later, if it is something that I cannot finish before going to work.  Sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesn’t.  I left specific cooking instructions for the chicken, with the cookbook opened to the page for him to read the directions, but this was one of those times when he decided to do his own thing, and not follow the cooking directions.  So my roasted chicken is not as crispy or as golden brown as I would have done it, but what am I going to do.  He tried.  The chicken still tasted very good, and that’s the main thing.

I made a garlic herb butter and put it all over the chicken, under the skin.  Then I coated it with salt & pepper and olive oil before putting it in the oven.

I added about 1-1 1/2 tsp of each fresh basil, thyme, oregano and sage, along with about 1 TBSP of garlic to softened butter and mixed it all up.

Before filing the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel, then gently lift the skin away from the meat of the chicken, and spread the garlic-herb butter mixture all over the meat of the chicken.  This is to keep it moist as well as to flavor the whole chicken.  Once you have spread the butter mixture over the whole chicken, gently bring back the skin as best as possible, then coat it with salt & pepper and olive oil.  This is to give the skin a nice and shiny, crispy coat.   You can rub the chicken with your butter, as well as the salt & pepper on the skin, up to about 48 hours before roasting it.  I would not coat it with the olive oil until right before placing it in the oven though.

Preheat the oven to 400*F

Place the chicken in a rack, in a large baking pan.  I usually line my pan with aluminum foil to make cleaning much easier.   Wrap the tips of the wings with small pieces of foil so they don’t burn.  Place the chicken in the center of the oven and cook the chicken at 400*F for about 15-20 minutes, breast side down.  Reduce the heat to 375*F, flip the chicken over, breast side up, and continue to cook for about another hour, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165* F, longer if you prefer it cooked more.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes or so before cutting it.

I served the roasted chicken with cheesey scalloped potatoes and roasted pumpkin and Brussels sprouts.  The Flavors of Fall  I completed the meal with a chardonnay that had hints of apples, citrus and melon.  This was a simple fall feast, jut perfect when the temperatures outside start to chill.

 

 

 

Fall is here.  As I look out my window right now, I am seeing all the beautiful colors of the fall season.  The trees and bushes are all various stages of greens, golds, oranges, and reds.  It is just so beautiful and colorful.   The fall season has also brought a dramatic drop in the temperature as well.  These last few days, we have had highs in the high 30’s and low 40’s.  I LOVE it!!!!  I say bring it on!  When the weather starts to get cold outside, there is nothing better than a nice hot soup to warm you up from the inside out.  It is most definitely soup weather, so I made a delicious fall soup with sausage, Northern white beans, pumpkin, and lots of fall vegetables.  As my dad would have said, “it warmed the cockles of my heart”.

Let’s get this soup started.  I used fresh spinach, kobaishi squash (AKA pumpkin), Anaheim chilies, jalapeno, garlic, onions, and tomatoes, along with  spicy Kielbasa sausage and Northern white beans.  To kick it up even a bit more, I added cinnamon and allspice too, and I simmered it all in chicken broth for about 2-3 hours, and Voila!  It was time for soup.

Sausage, White Beans and Fall Vegetable Soup

2 lbs cooked sausage of your choice, diced small

1 lb bag of uncooked Northern white beans (cook according to directions on the package) or 2 cans of beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups pumpkin or hard squash of your choice, medium cube

2 Anaheim peppers, diced, small

1 jalapeno pepper, diced fine

1 medium onion, diced fine

1-2 heaping TBSP garlic

4 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped in a rough cut

2-3 tomatoes, diced small

about 8 cups of chicken broth – in the picture I show Swanson’s chicken broth, but I actually made my own and used that instead

1 TBSP cinnamon

1-2 tsp allspice

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

 

Saute the heartier vegetables in olive oil until the onions are translucent and the pumpkin is semi-tender.  Add the sausage and continue to cook until the sausage is cooked completely.

Once the sausage and vegetables were cooked, I added the beans, the chicken broth, cinnamon, allspice and salt & pepper, as well as the additional sausage and peppers I had.  I brought it up to a boil, then reduced the heat to a simmer, and let simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and tomatoes right at the end, and let it cook for just a few minutes more.  Then serve it up.

This is one of my recipes that the more stuff I have, the better it gets.  No real recipe, but, again, as I always say, use what you have and use what you like.  I love all kinds of vegetables, so for me, that’s easy.   I always have a ton of different vegetables on hand.  I just put in a little of this and a little of that, stir my magic wooden spoon, and magic in the kitchen just happens.  I had some leftover sausage with mushrooms, peppers and onions in a spicy marinara sauce, so I added that to my soup as well.  I figured, I was already adding tomatoes and sausage, so why not add a bit more.  It made the soup really hearty.  I just might have to do that again, the next time I make this soup.

Time for soup.  I served it with a couple of slices of warmed rosemary bread and a very smooth, full bodied zinfandel with lots hints of black cherry.  The fruitiness of the wine accompanied the spice of the soup just perfectly.   Bon Appetit!

 

I know, yesterday I said I did not need to bake any more sweets, but I just had to make these.  Not so much to satisfy my sweet tooth, although that is certainly true, but I had some leftover white chocolate ganache from when I made my lemon-thyme truffles White Chocolate Lemon-Thyme Truffles that I just had to use before it went bad.  It was eating away at me.  I had to find a use for it.  And I did.  I made pumpkin biscotti.

It’s pumpkin season, and I just love pumpkin.  I love it every which way it can be cooked.  Today, pumpkin biscotti, and tomorrow it will be pumpkin in a different way.

All you need to make pumpkin biscotti.

Pumpkin Biscotti

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 TBSP vanilla

1 1/4 cups toasted pecans, chopped fine

cranberries (optional)

1 cup white chocolate, melted for dipping

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or more as needed

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

 

Mix all the dry ingredients, except the nuts, together and set aside.

Mix the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and pumpkin together in a mixer.  Add 1/2 of the flour and mix, then add the rest of the flour and mix.  Once everything is well combined, gently fold in the nuts and/or cranberries.  Divide the dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into two logs, about 3×10 and place on the baking sheets.  Bake for about 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Reduce the oven tempeperature to 325* F.  Slice the biscotti logs into slices about 1/2″ thick with a serrated knife, and place back on the baking sheets and return to the oven for about 20-30 more minutes, or until the biscotti is nice and crispy.  After about 10-15 minutes, flip the cookies over onto the other side and return to the oven to continue baking.

Once the biscotti has cooled completely, melt your white chocolate and cream together  to make your white chocolate ganache.   White Chocolate Lemon-Thyme Truffles

Dip half the cookie into the ganache and shake off the excess.  Repeat until all the cookies are done.  If the ganache gets too cool and becomes difficult to work with, just re-heat it until it becomes liquid again and continue.

As with any other type of biscotti, these are best when served and/or dipped into a nice cup of coffee, tea or a steaming hot cappuccino.

 

***I did not think of using cranberries until I already had them in the oven.  Oh well.  Next time.