Yummy

So, fall has finally made it's way to our little nest.  Maybe it's the fact that we have:
--beautiful colored leaves falling outside our living room window
--leaves I've picked up on my running route being pressed between our dictionary pages
--we can sleep all cozy at night and not be hot and kicking off the covers
--a leaf-shaped glass bowl is sitting full of candy corns on our side table
--pumpkin decorations are finding perfect homes in our apartment
--there is zucchini bread and apple crisp waiting to be eaten
--Braedan and I have simultaneously gotten our first colds of the season :(
--I've had to scrape off my car in the morning on the way to school only to find that the marching field also has frost on it
--my pashmina collection has been making more regular appearances lately
--and the fact that I'm baking a ton more..but it's heats up our apartment on those chilly nights

My latest baking adventure was making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies.  I had been waiting and waiting for pumpkin to come back out in the grocery stores; so when I finally found cans at Hy-Vee, I quickly snatched some up.  Then, my mom gave me another can, so I thought I needed to find some good recipes for pumpkin.  The cookies I made turned out pretty well.  The pumpkin makes them a bit "cakey," but if you can overlook that fact, they are still a delicious fall treat!




Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
*1/2 cup applesauce (I used natural applesauce w/o sugar added)
1 egg
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. milk
1 tbs. vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
     *you can also use oil instead of applesauce

Directions:

1.  Combine pumpkin, sugar, applesauce (or vegetable oil), and egg.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. 

2.  Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. 

3.  Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. 

 

Enjoy!

--M