Food

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

~ nikkifrederick ~ Leave a comment

Alright my fellow autumn-loving friends, here it is. I have been asked on countless occasions to provide this recipe. But I must say that I have also been asked numerous times, as people take a few bites, what these things really are.

“What are these…like a scone?”

“Is this a biscuit?”

“You said this is a cookie?”

I am not sure if the bewilderment is due to the shape or the texture of the dessert. Maybe both. But here’s the good news: These scrumptious things can be whatever you’d like to call them. They are not flat or even necessarily round like many cookies. Perhaps this contributes to the confusion. Nor are they hard in any way so if you do not like softness, these are not your match.

Maybe that’s why I like these so much. They are partially undefined. A little mystery or rebellion mixed in with the flour.

Or maybe it’s the pumpkin.

And the chocolate.

In any event, I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. They are hearty and they warm the house with the delicious smell of autumn.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of canned pumpkin

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp of milk

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Cookie dough

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, add the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg and stir. Dissolve the baking soda (not the powder!) in the milk in a small bowl and then stir that into the pumpkin mixture. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Combine the dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture and stir well. Add the vanilla and stir and then fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon onto a cookie sheet. And here’s the fun part. I make them big. A big glob. And I don’t worry about the shape though you can make them round by shaping the dough a bit. Just make sure each one is about the same size so they cook evenly. Bake at 375 for about 10-12 minutes. The time is variable depending on how big you make them. With the size I have shown, it’s usually 12-4 min. You’ll know they are done when you cannot see any wet spots and they feel firm to the touch. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy with milk! The recipe makes about 8-10 large cookies and the recipe can be doubled.

pumpkin cookies

 

 

Fruit and Cheese Dip

~ nikkifrederick ~ Leave a comment

This recipe has been altered slightly, but credit must be given to the Betty Crocker company as it belongs to them. This makes a great appetizer for a holiday meal or fun party platter for New Years. I love it because it’s super easy.

And the mystery behind this recipe? DIP THE CHEESE TOO!! Many guests of mine have enjoyed dipping the fruit, but the cheese is also really good and is meant to take the plunge as well. You can also use apples, pears, or bananas if the fruits below are hard to come by. However, we’ve found that the three below seem to work the best with the dip. Bananas are excellent, but brown quickly so may not be the most attractive choice for the party. Below you will see “chunked” fruit…is that even proper recipe language? Not sure, but I do know that you want those fruit pieces big enough that they can be dipped without falling off the toothpick. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Oh, and one warning: it is super filling…so go easy!

Chunks for fruit platter

Ingredients:

  • 1 container (8 oz) of strawberry cream cheese
  • 1-2 cups lite cool whip
  • ~1 cup frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (frozen raspberries in sauce is best)
  • Cubed Gouda cheese (not smoked gouda!)
  • Cubed cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp depending on preference)
  • 2 cups chunked fresh pineapple
  • 2 cups chunked kiwis
  • 2 cups halved strawberries (ok, you can “chunk” these as well if you’d like)
  • Optional: Frozen or sugar coated raspberries and fresh mint for decoration

Ingredients for dip

Directions: Cut up your cheese and fruit as described above and arrange on a platter. These can be skewered, alternating fruits with cheeses, or you can simply put toothpicks out next to your serving platter. To make the dip, simply use a hand mixer to blend the raspberries with the cream cheese. If you do not have the raspberries in sauce (hard to find these days), then simply add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the raspberries and then add mixture and blend with the cream cheese. You can add more raspberries to taste. Then stir in the cool whip. I usually start with about 1.5 cups, and add more raspberries or cool whip to my liking. Scoop into a serving bowl, put it in the middle of your fruit and cheese, and enjoy!

Fruit and cheese platter