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Pumpkin bread baked twice makes biscotti

Editor’s note: This is the second of the 12 cookies of Christmas recipes.

Pumpkin bread isn’t a classic Italian dessert, but that didn’t stop us from turning it into delicious biscotti fit for dunking in your holiday lattes and cocoa.

The method is simple. You bake up a pretty traditional pumpkin bread, then let it cool before cutting it into slices. Then you arrange the slices on a wire rack and bake for a second time, drying and crisping the pumpkin bread into delicious biscotti. These cookies also make great gifts, as they keep well at room temperature for several weeks.

Pumpkin Bread Biscotti

Start to finish: 2 hours (30 minutes active)

Yield: Makes 40 cookies

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup chopped dark chocolate

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat 2 standard loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla, both sugars, and the salt. Stir in the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice just until well mixed. Divide the mixture between the 2 pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Leave the oven on.

Carefully transfer the pumpkin bread from the pans to a cooling rack and allow to cool. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick.

Working in batches if necessary, set a rack over a baking sheet. Arrange the pumpkin bread slices in a single layer on the rack. It’s fine if they touch. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until almost crisp (they’ll finish crisping as they cool).

After the biscotti have cooled, melt the chocolate by microwaving in a small microwave-safe dish in 20 second intervals, stirring frequently. Drizzle over the biscotti, then sprinkle them with toasted almonds. Allow to set before transferring to an airtight container to store at room temperature for 2 weeks.

Nutrition information per serving: 120 calories; 60 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 7 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated; 0 grams trans fats); 10 milligrams cholesterol; 60 milligrams sodium; 15 grams carbohydrate; 1 grams fiber; 10 grams sugar; 2 grams protein.

Alison Ladman is a chef, food writer and recipe developer for The Associated Press.

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