So… I quit my job. And it’s been GREAT! I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I started working at Nordstrom exactly a year ago – and I loved it. The job pays well and it was a fun distraction from the stress of school. But when I started back up again this school year, I started to lose my mind. I was stretched so thin with 19.5 credits of classes, writing my thesis, working as a Teaching Assistant and working at Nordstrom. And then trying to enjoy my senior year and hang out with friends. And then I missed a whole week of class while I was in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (all my pictures are posted here! So many famous people!) I was so stressed all the time, barely slept and was sacrificing valuable job-searching time as well.
Two weeks ago I finally decided to call it quits. I was sad to leave my co-workers, worried about no longer havingĀ a paycheck (still am!), and bummed that I was losing my discount š but after lastĀ weekend of freedom and looking forward to many more – I am SO glad I quit. I’ve caught up on schoolwork, worked on my thesis, am blogging, went to the grocery store… I mean, I’m finally doing life stuff! It feels so good.
So in the spirit of celebrating… I baked biscotti! I had a little leftover pumpkin after making these Pumpkin Millet MuffinsĀ last week and for some reason, pumpkin biscotti just wouldn’t leave my mind! So – I set to work last nightĀ and made these Pumpkin Spice Biscotti. Oh my goodness, they are absolutely amazing. I used some of the [amazon text=Pumpkin Spice Oil&asin=http://www.amazon.com/Lorann-Oils-Pumpkin-Emulsion-4oz/dp/B00BR25W9E] that I got from LorAnn and that you can get on Amazon (see this post about Earl Grey Tea Shortbread for another use for LorAnn Oils!) and gosh, they turned out good! I dipped them in white chocolate (that I had brought back from Madagascar!) and now have a delicious plateĀ of treats!
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice emulsion (optional but highly recommended!)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- white chocolate for dipping
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin, butter, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin spice emulsion. Beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Divide dough in two and on a floured surface, roll each half into a 9x3inch (roughly) log. Place both logs on a cookie sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
- Let cool for 15 minutes and drop oven temperature to 300 degrees. When logs are cool, use a serrated knife to cut them into one inch strips. Turn pieces on their side and return to baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. Remove from sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
- Once cool, melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and return to wire rack to harden.
These look amazing! And, the perfect fall treat for coffee.
Thanks for sharing at Motivation Monday.
What a delicious looking treat! I’m featuring these at the weekly link party! http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2014/10/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-113.html
Thanks for being patient with me about the MM feature! It’s all fixed now. And congratulations on being featured at Motivation Monday!
No problem! Thanks for featuring me!