Two Great Holidays, Two Great Biscottis

Holidays are a great time for sharing those recipes cherished by our families. Here are two recipes that are great for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One combines the crunchiness of cornmeal with spiced warm flavors of baked pumpkin pie. The other brightens your holiday morning with tangy sweet cranberries. Enjoy!

Cornmeal-Pumpkin Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups stoneground cornmeal
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins

1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  
• Combine the first 9 ingredients (flour to raisins).
• Stir untilwell blended
• Melt the butter and whisk with pumpkin and vanilla extract.
• Whisk eggs into pumpkin mixture.
• Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.
• Knead dough into 2 loaves, 14-18" long.
• Place, separated, on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Cut loaves into 1/2" slices (biscotti shaped).
• Place slices back in pan and bake again in a 300 degrees F oven for 15 minutes.
  

Cranberry Biscotti

1 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/3 cups stoneground cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dried cranberries, rinsed, drained and then chopped
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon