Hooray! The fall season has officially arrived! I spent the weekend outside at the Woodstock Market in the brisk, cool weather with a jacket and a hot pumpkin spiced latte in hand. Tis’ the season NOT to count calories because now that it’s cool, I am putting my oven to good use and making some yummy treats!
Both of my kids LOVE helping me in the kitchen. Donning their dress-up chef hats and aprons, they are great at measuring, mixing, and my 2 year old can even crack an egg! Fall tastes like nutmeg and brown sugar and pumpkin and cinnamon, so here’s a couple of our family favorite pumpkin recipes that are oh so yummy and perfect for this kind of weather!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
- Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.
Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.
Optional topping – instead of icing, melt Orange Candy melts (melting chocolate) in a double boiler or in the microwave at half power. Use the melted chocolate to ice the pumpkin cookies, then let the kids decorate them with orangee, green, and black sprinkles!
Pumpkin Bread
- 3-1/2 cups flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 can pumpkin (14 oz.)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Sources: Cookie recipe – Food Network. Photos: Country Living, Lovin in the Oven.
This is a guest post written by Emily Parman. To get more thoughts from Emily on kids, family, and bows, and crafts, please visit her website at http://www.doodlebugbows.wordpress.com
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