Pumpkin Pie = So 2007
Editor’s Note: As promised, here’s the baking post from Alex, which we solicited in exchange from promoting this great event. If you’re interested in trading recipes for exposure, always feel free to holler at ES!
If you’re like me and get sad every time you have to throw away a bag of wilted spinach or a moldy piece of bread (“Oh spinach, you taste so good and I could have eaten you, but I didn’t get to you fast enough…”), you understand my perspective on pumpkins. Fun to carve, but then they get all droopy and then they start to smell bad, and you MAYBE roasted the seeds, but probably just carved the pumpkin and left it to die, and now, sadly, you have to throw it away. This always gets me thinking about how to salvage the wreckage, aka what pumpkin-flavored things to cook with the remains…
Unfortunately, usually by the time I get around to making something pumpkiny, my jack-o’-lantern has weird soft spots and has been sitting outside for several days, so I actually make these cookies with canned pumpkin. Don’t worry, they’re still ridiculously delicious. Think of the the moistest, fluffiest chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had, and then make it orange and spicy. And they stay fresh for a really long time.
(Recipe thanks again to Eliza, who also brought us everyone’s favorite chocolate oatmeal cake.)
Pumpkin Cookies
2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c shortening
1 c pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips (or as many as you want. I usually add more.)
– Mix everything together. (No complicated step-by-step instructions here, Liza!) If you have a mixer, I suggest using that with a dough hook. It’s easier than stirring by hand or using beaters.
– Bake it up at 350 for 10-15 minutes, give or take.
– For a double batch you can use 1 small can of pumpkin; for a triple batch, use 1 large can of pumpkin.
can you sub in whole wheat flour or brown sugar? can you sub butter for shortening? also, are these just drop cookies? (i think thats the term)
WW flour: definitely yes. I am an all-WW girl myself.
Brown sugar: I’d say no. I’ve tried that substitute in pumpkin bread and did not like it. Maybe try raw sugar? I haven’t.
Butter for shortening: healthier but not as good, IMO. I’ve tried it but don’t remember the exact difference in consistency–I think it wasn’t as soft. You can also substitute applesauce for butter in most baking recipes, so you could probably do that for shortening. Consistency would probably be the main difference.
The dough is so sticky that I just drop them on the pan, if that’s what you mean. I like to do small cookies rather than large for this recipe.
fantastic detail. thanks. also, um, do i just buy crisco for shortening? is there a brand i should know about?
I buy store brand vegetable shortening. I’ve used others though…I don’t think it really matters.
Chocolate and pumpkin are a great combination.
Do you think that I could sub fresh pumpkin and still have them turn out as good?
The cookies were delish, especially right after they came out of the oven. May family ate them when they were still warm and the chocolate chips were melted. Yum! Thank you for sharing!!! – I modified the recipe just slighty, using unbleached flower (my personal alternative to using whole wheat flower), and I used evaporated cane juice sugar (light brown, rather than bleached white sugar). I also used “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” sticks instead of shortening and I added a pinch of ginger. – This will become my go-to fall/winter cookie recipe, no doubt about it. 😉
these cookies were a HUGE hit with family and friends. i did go with the shortening but used sucanat instead of sugar and put in a dash of brown sugar. thank you so much for the recipe!!