GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN BISCOTTI with DAIRY FREE and VEGAN instructions

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     The autumn in New Jersey is beautiful.  It is such a pleasure to drive or walk and see all the trees as the leaves are changing color.  Reds, oranges, yellows, greens & browns, all vary and change as you travel along each road.  When the wind blows it rains leaves.  It is kind of magical to be showered with colorful leaves.  The children love it and play in the piles of leaves.  I’ll admit that raking them all up can be a chore, but for now I am thoroughly enjoying natures beauty.  
     Everything is apples and pumpkins this time of year.  Pumpkin biscotti with seasonal spices are easy to make and delicious.  Perfect with a warm cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.     

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN BISCOTTI

Ingredients

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
3/4 cup	Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.)
2 1/2 tsp.	Baking Powder
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1/8 tsp.	Sea Salt
1 tsp.	Cinnamon
1/2 tsp.	Ginger (powdered)
1/4 tsp.	Cloves
1 cup	Walnuts - chopped fine (optional) -  or pecans or macadamia nuts
1/2 cup	Chocolate Chips (optional) - for dairy free use dairy free chips
2 tsp.	Orange Zest
2 large	Eggs for Vegan use egg replacer of choice
2 Tbs.	Oil
1/2 cup	Pumpkin (canned)
2 tsp.	Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silpat mat.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl add the flours, sugar, salt, xanthan gum, baking powder and spices.  Mix well.  
3. Add the nuts and chocolate chips, if using, to the flour mixture and stir until the nuts and chips are well coated. Set aside.
4. In a separate small bowl add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and orange zest and mix well.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir together well.

   

   Wet ingredients on left and Dry ingredients on the right.

   
   

   

   Wet ingredients added to the dry.

   
   

   

   Batter all mixed together.
6. The dough will be sticky and thick.  Use a large silicone spatula to scrape out half of the dough onto one side of the prepared baking sheet.  Shape the dough into a 12” long log with the spatula.  Repeat with the second half of the dough.

   

   Shaping the dough into a log with a spatula.

   
   

   

   Two logs of dough ready to be smoothed out.
7. Wet your hands with water and smooth the dough and shape them into 1 1/2 - 2” wide and 1 1/2” high.  The dough will spread a bit when baking.  These will make small biscotti about 3” x 1” if cut at a diagonals 2”x1” if cut straight.  

   

   Logs after being smoothed out with wet hands.

8. Bake the logs about 20 minutes or until the center is firm.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 20 minutes. Keep the oven on.
9. Use a serrated knife to cut the cool logs into 3/4” wide slices.  Be sure to allow the log time to cool, because if it is hot the cookies will crumble apart when you slice them.

   

   Slicing the logs.  The one in the back is cut into diagonals.
   The log in front is cut straight.

10. Place the sliced cookies onto the baking sheet, cut side down.  Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, turning them over half way through.  When done the sliced cookies will be lightly browned and firm not soft in the center.  For very hard (break your teeth) biscotti turn off the oven after the second baking is done and leave the cookies inside until the oven is cool.

    

    Slices on baking sheet before the second baking.

    
    

    

    Biscotti after second baking.

11. Cool completely before storing.  
12. Store cookies in an airtight container lined with wax paper.  These will keep well for at least two weeks. 
13. I made these on a rainy day.  To my dismay, when I took one from the wax paper lined tin the next day the biscotti were not crisp at all.  I’m not sure if it was the weather or if I just did not let them bake long enough during the second baking.  I spread the biscotti out on a baking sheet and put them back into a 350℉ oven.  After baking for about 20 minutes they became the perfect crispness again, and have stayed perfect since.

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN BISCOTTI glutenfreebakingbear.com Ingredients 1 cup Sorghum Flour 3/4 cup Tapioca Flour 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.) 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Ginger (powdered) 1/4 tsp. Cloves 1 cup Walnuts - chopped fine (optional) - or pecans or macadamia nuts 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (optional) - for dairy free use dairy free chips 2 tsp. Orange Zest 2 large Eggs for Vegan use egg replacer of choice 2 Tbs. Oil 1/2 cup Pumpkin (canned) 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract Directions Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Set aside. In a large bowl add the flours, salt, xanthan gum,sugar, baking powder and spices. Mix well. Add the nuts and chocolate chips, if using, to the flour mixture and stir until the nuts and chips are well coated. Set aside. In a separate small bowl add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and orange zest and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir together well. The dough will be sticky and thick. Use a large silicone spatula to scrape out half of the dough onto one side of the prepared baking sheet. Shape the dough into a 12” long log with the spatula. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Wet your hands with water and smooth the dough and shape them into 1 1/2 - 2” wide and 1 1/2” high. The dough will spread a bit when baking. These will make small biscotti about 3” x 1” if cut at a diagonals 2”x1” if cut straight. Bake the logs about 20 minutes or until the center is firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 20 minutes. Keep the oven on. Use a serrated knife to cut the cool logs into 3/4” wide slices. Be sure to allow the log time to cool, because if it is hot the cookies will crumble apart when you slice them. Place the sliced cookies onto the baking sheet, cut side down. Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, turning them over half way through. When done the sliced cookies will be lightly browned and firm not soft in the center. For very hard (break your teeth) biscotti turn off the oven after the second baking and leave the cookies inside until the oven is cool. Cool completely before storing. Store cookies in an airtight container lined with wax paper. These will keep well for at least two weeks. I made these on a rainy day. To my dismay, when I took one from the wax paper lined tin the next day the biscotti were not crisp at all. I’m not sure if it was the weather or if I just did not let them bake long enough during the second baking. I spread the biscotti out on a baking sheet and put them back into a 350℉ oven. After baking for about 20 minutes they became the perfect crispness again, and have stayed perfect since.