Great Pumpkin Cookies

The weather is cooling off and I'm ready for fall and all things pumpkin! I was at my in-laws house over the weekend and was looking at a cookbook my mother-in-law had and came across this recipe. The Great Pumpkin Cookies, the cookbook is one that came from a church in Castle Rock, Colo. from Christ's Episcopal Church. It is a sample cookbook she received when she was working on a cookbook for Relay for Life. These are so good, just be careful to watch the cooking time. I thought mine weren't huge and they were taking more like 21 mins. different from the 15-18 in the original recipe! These are so good and definitely took care of my fall baking for today...come back later for more!

Ingredients
2 cups of flour
1 cup of oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 jumbo egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk choco.)***I used an entire bag***

Directions
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir in your chocolate chips.
I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets.
Drop by spoonfuls, about a Tbl. is what I used.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This picture is thanks to my momma, she picked up the leaf doilies at the Dollar Store for $1 a package (there's like 20 in a package), and told me to use them for my food photography as well as scrapping, there is brown leafs, red leafs and pumpkins! Thanks Mom!!!
This recipe has been floating around the What's Cooking board for some time now. I was searching my starred blogs for a chocolate chip cookie recipe to make to again take to my in-laws over the weekend and once again turned to my girl Annie of Annie's Eats and came across this recipe once again, and man am I glad I tried it. As soon as hubby walked in the door and headed for the kitchen, I knew my first tester was available. He walked out saying how great they were, and they are, they are thick, crunchy, have just the right amount of chocolate in them...one word....WONDERFUL! This will be my go to recipe from now on! Make sure you cook them long enough, I had a hard time getting my first batch done but I will be cooking the next batch (they're in the oven now) for 17 mins!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips



Directions:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.



Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.



Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.



Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Baking Illustrated

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was trying to figure out what I was going to take with us to my hubby's parents house and thought, granola for a quick/healthy meal, some cookies to snack on and these muffins from Annie's Blog that I've wanted to make forever. My hubby's dad has to have surgery Monday and I thought these would help them during the weekend and next week while, I am sure, there will be much running around to do!

Now Annie had beautifully puffed golden domes on hers and I was afraid mine wouldn't hold up, but I was wrong, they are gorgeous. Must be the recipe~

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

½ cup peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

¾ cup chocolate chips



Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.



In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.



In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top.



Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

I doubled this recipe and it worked perfectly!

World Market Finds

So when we went to World Market I picked up some food items, some I had been looking for for awhile now!

The first one are these Amaretto cookies that I have heard alot about. Amaretto is my favorite liquor and I had been looking forward to finding these so I could try them. I have also seen that you are supposed to make crusts out of them, so look for a crust for a cheesecake soon!

The next is this bag of green mint chips. I have heard of people making a host of different things with these and am excited to make some yummy brownies with them!


The next thing is this bag of Panko breadcrumbs. Now really what kind of a foodie would I be without these!


I am so excited about this next one, it's a jar of World Market's new Chocolate & Carmel spread. Think Nutella but only better! This will taste yummy on the plain scone mix I also bought! I have only tried it so far straight from the jar, but think it will be good on graham crackers as well. I am not a fan of Nutella and they also have a Cappoccino & Chocolate flavor as well!

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

I was looking over blogs and finding new ones I liked and could find good recipes from. I came across Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats. She has some great things on hers as well as these yummy looking Shortbread "sticks". I was looking for a little something sweet to make and with just 4 ingredients these looked like the perfect fix for my sweet tooth. I had been sick all day with what I believe is a sinus infection, yes again. I think that's what is going on at least. I didn't dip them as I wasn't feeling well and really just wanted to dig in to them. So I added a few extra chocolate chips instead, they are devine!

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)--softened
1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of Nestle mini chocolate chips

For dipping:
1/2 bag of milk chocolate chips (I used 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tsp shortening)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat all ingredients together, except chocolate chips. Stir in chips.

Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into 3" think logs. Place on non-stick or lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned. Took mine about 8 mins. Remove from cookie sheet and place on waxed paper, carefully, to cool. Freeze overnight or longer.

Melt a half bag of milk chocolate chips in a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, melt the chocolate in your microwave on high heat for 1 minute, at 30 seconds intervals, stirring well between each interval. If the chocolate is not completely melted, continue heating it in your microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring well between each interval, and being careful not to burn the chocolate. Dip each stick into the chocolate about 1/3 the way up. Immediately place on waxed paper. Chill to solidify chocolate.

Yield: Approximately 24 cookies.

Heath Milk Chocolate Cookies

I think I should re-name this blog and start doing a daily cookie blog! I could make a different cookie everyday and probably never go through half of all of the ones I have flagged to make!

I had a bag of Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits in my baking drawer forever and I was in the mood to bake. So I look on the back of the bag and there is a recipe for Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies and I thought that would be perfect....man was I right!

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbl milk
1 tbl vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
Bag of Heath Toffee Bits (It called for only 1 cup and then you were to put some of them on top of each cookie before you baked but I didn't want to do that...so I didn't)
1/2 bag of milk chocolate chips (I added this)

Heat oven to 375.

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg mixing only until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in toffee bits and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping teaspons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet (I used the sil pad thingys). Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yields about 3 dozen.

My mom's banana bread!

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe as it's the one she's made forever! It is so good especially made into muffins with some mini-chocolate chips added!

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 med)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbl oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup nuts (I use pecans, but walnuts would be good)
2 1/2 cups flour

Grease and flour 9x5x3 in loaf pan (or muffin cups). Measure all ingredients into large bowl, beat on med speed 1/2 minute, scraping sides and bottom of bowl constantly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 55-65 mins for loaf about 18 mins for muffins, until wooden pick comes out clean. Remove from pan, cool before slicing.

Crystal's Double Chocolate Ginger Cookies

This is a combination of a couple of different ginger cookies I found off of Allrecipes. I also up'd the amount of spices because I like my ginger cookies spicy!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup margarine, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar

About 1/2 a bag of mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. I used a tablespoon worth of dough and rolled in Organic Sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

This also gave me an excuse to try out my new Wilton Christmas shapes cookie pan!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Here is another allrecipes.com recipe. I had some leftover pumpkin from the pancakes so I was needing to use it up. These are really good. I will probably be making these for Thanksgiving this year.

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter

3 eggs
3 cups pumpkin pie filling or canned pumpkin with 2 tbl pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk (I used 1 12oz can of evaporated milk)
1/2 bag of chocolate chips (I added this)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
I also used 1/2 cup of pecans in my topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
Pour one cup of yellow cake mix into a medium size mixing bowl; set aside.
Combine remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg; mix well.
Press into the baking pan.
Combine pumpkin pie filling, 2 eggs and milk in a medium size mixing bowl; mix until smooth. Pour evenly over the crust in the 9x13 inch pan.
I put enough of the chocolate chips over the pumpkin mixture to cover.
Pour the sugar and cinnamon and pecans into the mixing bowl containing the 1 cup of yellow cake mix. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over the pumpkin filling.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the bars come out clean. Let cool before cutting.
Store in fridge.

My new pumpkin chocolate bread

I had used 1/2 a cup of pumpkin for some pumpkin brownies and needed something to do with the rest of the can. I thought I could change my mom's banana bread recipe into pumpkin, this was my take on it!

1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 tbl baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 Tbl oil (they are a little dry the next day, may use like 1/4 cup next time)
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients. Pour into a loaf pan or muffins. I used a couple of pans I hadn't used in awhile. One was a silicone pan that was rosettes (picture) and a cast iron pan my mother-in-law gave me of mini bundt pans.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate chip cookie dough dip!

I made this again 11/14/08 for a Wii party with my mom & dad since hubby was at deer camp. They had not tried it. This time I got a picture of it beforehand!

Okay this is soooo good. This is from the Nest's What's Cooking board, I think everyone has made it. Since I had heard girls talking that it was too tangy-too cheesecakey I modified the recipe. I also think it is best the next day after it's had a night to sit in the fridge for awhile. You won't get a picture of this one, because well it disappeared too fast!

1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup powder sugar + about 1/3 more
1 stick butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 handfulls mini chocolate chips
2 tbl regular sugar

Melt butter and brown sugar, I did this in the microwave, took me just a little over a minute, don't do it all at once do about 30 secs at a time and take out and stir. Let cool.

Cream cream cheese and 1/2 cup powder sugar. Taste and add more powder sugar to your liking. Add reg sugar, I added the regular sugar for the texture, so it would taste more like regular cookie dough.

Stir in chocolate chips.

I served with graham crackers and it was great!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I doubled this recipe because I hate using only a half a can of pumpkin. These are wonderful when cold, they are very moist and chocolatey! From Beach Bride in MD with alterations by me!

1 can pumpkin
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp milk
2 T vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I didn't use)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg. Mix well. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and oats. Dissolve baking soda with the milk and add to pumpkin mixture. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add vanilla and chocolate chips. (nuts if you want them)

Drop by tablespoonful on greaed cookie sheet (I used parchmant paper) and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown and slightly firm.

Mom's Chocolate-Chip-Pumpkin Loaves

These remind me of fall and are one of my favorites to bake. I can remember my mom making these so many times. They can be made into loaves, mini loaves or muffins and are yummy!

3 Cups Sugar
3 1/3 Cups Flour
1 Cup Oil
2/3 cup Water (I started omiting this so they aren't sooo moist)
1 Can pumpkin
1 Tsp Cinammon
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1 1/2 Tsp salt
4 eggs
2 Tsp Baking Soda

Add ins:
1 Cup chopped nuts
1 1/2 Cups Chocolate chips

Mix ingredients, pour into greased loaf pans.
Bake 350 for 1 hour

For mini loaf pans cook 350 for 1/2 hour
For mini muffins cooks 350 for 20-25 minutes

my mom's had this recipe so long I have no idea where it originated!