Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is this real life?

I mean is Christmas really in less than a week? And I only have about 25% of my shopping done?

Crap.

Also, random. Because I am often random. Has anyone else watched the Food Network show "Sweet Genius"? It's like the pastry chef version of "Chopped" (which I love me some "Chopped". Anyways, I love the idea of this show and was so excited about it until I got a whiff of the host.

God, is he not irritating to anyone else? When he's judging (which why is he the only judge anyway? lame) he'll pause for what seems like 20 minutes and then sputter out some random word, totally unrelated to food, between his awkwardly puckered lips.

Ew.

I mean he'll "mysteriously" declare that the bite he just had was "melancholy" or "electric" and its like wtf is that supposed to tell me about how that tastes?

(disclaimer: those aren't his exact word choices but yes, they are that weird)

Thanks for ruining what could be an awesome show for me weird dude. Thanks.

I'm sure he would probably say these cookies are "inspiring", "sedating" or "awakening" but I'll take that. I think. Because they are yum.

I had some pumpkin pudding in my pantry and replaced a tablespoon or two of the flour with it for some more moisture. I suggest you do the same. You wont be disappointed.

Unless of course you don't like deliciously moist cookies that last for days.

In that case, you best go somewhere else.

Cuz you're weird like that "Sweet Genius" dude.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

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.

Pumpkin Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies

It is December 13th and I am still on the pumpkin train.

I don't plan on getting off. Ever.

I'm one of those crazy people who thinks any holiday includes pumpkin-somehing-or-another. I tend to buy enough cans to feed a small country in the beginning of fall and you would think that by the time Christmas rolls around I would be sick of pumpkin after making 4 loaves of pumpkin bread, 6 types of pumpkin cookies and a handful of pumpkin cheesecakes.

But no. Never. Pumpkin and are are forever the best of friends.

Pumpkin never lets me down.

I'll admit it. I actually have a small panic attack when I see that I am down to two cans of pumpkin in my pantry. Panic I tell you.

This recipe, on the other hand, is more fall-like. What is more Thanksgiving than cranberry+pumpkin? Nothing...unless you throw stuffing and turkey in the mix. Then you have an awesome sandwich.

That's another story.

Pumpkin Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Low-fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanksgiving came and went.

Like woah.

I can't believe December is 2 days away. Snow...I'm not ready for you.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and a long lazy weekend.If you're at all like me, you go into hiding on "Black Friday". I love me some bargains but I can't withstand enough patience for a standard trip to the mall.

But I love Thanksgiving more and more with each year that passes.

I celebrated Thanksgiving with Shawn and his family, who I love. Who make me feel so welcome everytime I go there. I'm very lucky that they are so wonderful.

I did faint on Thanksgiving morning.

Yep, right on the living room floor.

The memory is a little fuzzy to me but I remember waking up to the smell of pancakes...yes, pancakes. As much as I love staying in bed I couldn't ignore the visual of light and fluffy pancakes soaking in butter and dripping with glistening sugary syrup. If I weren't so dehydrated from the one two three four too many vodka diets I had the night before. I decided my disheveled hair and smeared "makeup'ed" face wasn't worth the fuss and raced up the stairs into the kitchen. Immediately, had that "I got up way to fast" feeling and remember trying to escape into the living room. I remember not being able to see and then waking up to very concerned looking faces.

My bad.

Guess I was really too excited about the whole stuffing my face and having the excuse that it was for the sake of a holiday excuse.

I may have eaten an entire pound of stuffing. When I was younger, I hated the stuff. Now, I can't get enough. In fact, I could go for some right now.

I'm sad Thanksgiving is over, but Christmas is coming and it is my favorite holiday so I suppose I'll manage.

If anyone has any leftover pumpkin in their fridge but can't fit into their jeans because of Thanksgiving, these cookies might be an excellent thing to invest that pumpkin in.

They are a little more crunchy than your average cookie, but the flavor is there and the guilt is not.

Sign.me.up.

Low-fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg white
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice; stir to blend. In another bowl,whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, pumpkin puree and vanilla together until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths
out.

Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Cookies

I have learned that there is definitely a plus side to having to go to class...and that is having people to bake things for.

I don't want 48 cookies all to myself...scratch that...I don't NEED 48 cookies all to myself so when I make something, I can have a couple
few and then bring the rest in to some guinea pigs...my classmates :)

I've made three kinds of pumpkin cookies so far...these got the best reviews so I'm posting them first.

They're cakey which is expected with pumpkin cookies. I personally think the glaze is the "kicker". It kind of tastes like a caramel or maple syrup glaze...weird? Try it, you will know what I am talking about.

Pumpkin Cookies
From food.com

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt


Penuche Glaze:
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Have ready some ungreased baking sheets.In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy.Blend in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract.In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.Mix flour mixture into butter-sugar mixture.Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges.Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks.Let cool completely for a least one half hour, then frost with glaze.

For Glaze:
In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened. Beat in the milk. Blend in confectioner's sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable. Using a silicone basting brush, which I love and use religiously now, or a butter knife to spread glaze on cookies is the best tip. Please note; this glaze will harden fairly quickly. I suggest that you keep the saucepan over the stove on the lowest heat possible to prevent it from hardening.

Cherry Almond Dark Chocolate Clusters

I turn 24 in 5 days.

I can't say I am particularly excited about it. 24 doesn't seem all that eventful, and I kind of like the number 23...and 24 is really close to 25 which is 5 years away from 30...

Gross.

Yeah, these next 5 days can go slow if they want.

I'm cool with that.

I am looking forward to spending time with my friends and family watching some sketch comedy and enjoying a night of dancing and girlie drinks...I'm okay with that...but that's about it.

I made these little treats when I didn't feel like baking...and knew I would indeed devour more chocolate than I needed so I wanted something "light"-ish.

These are good if you're trying to get a quick and somewhat guiltless sweets fix...but they aren't a no-bake cookie thats for sure...

Mmm...no-bakes...maybe I'll make an entire batch of those for myself for my birthday.

Yep, done.

Cherry Almond Dark Chocolate Clusters
From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the top pan. Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.

Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

Cut-Out Cookies

As of about 15 minutes ago I finished reading my latest book "The Help". Already the grieving process has started (if you read my last post, you'll understand).

Now I am just incredibly eager for the movie to come out...2 months from now...perhaps I should have waited to read the book...

But who am I kidding? Patience is not a trait I am familiar with.

You people who are patient are lucky...just saying.

I'm the kind of person who gets antsy when a person is 5 minutes late. By the 6th minute I have convinced myself that something horrible has happened to them...

I often check my school's web site shortly after I take an exam as I am dying to know how horrible I did so I have an excuse to indulge in chocolate gelato....

I paint my nails only to have them ruined in a matter of minutes because I decide that 17 seconds to dry is more than enough time....

And yes, I even watch a pot of lukewarm water and pray to the cooking God's to "hurry it up already! water should be boiling after 2 minutes! easily!"

I could learn a thing or two from you patient people.

This post may come as a shock to you all. Cut-out cookies are not for impatient people. And yes, I know this. But they make such darned good gifts that I can't help myself.

Another thing about me...I tend to think that I can somehow cheat the "time" system by holding my breath and squinting my eyes when I try to complete these tasks in which patience is vital. Such as cut-out cookies.

My cut-out cookies don't come out as pretty as the cake decorator at work (her patience baffles me!) While I find detail important, I also find it impossible to pay attention to.

A little tip for those of you who, like me, curse at the hairdryer every morning you are drying your hair (because "OH MY GOD" it takes too darn long)...if you pair your panic-inducing, time-consuming, detail-oriented activity with a freshly lit candle and a glass of riesling or sweet red wine, your experience shall consists of a little less jaw-clenching and a little more breathing (I can't imagine holding your breath is that good for you)...

And word on the street is a little red wine is. And some dark chocolate. Always allow for some dark chocolate.

Cut-Out Cookies

From Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing:
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons meringue powder
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Food coloring, optional

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Paint cookies with Edible Paint Icing. Garnish with silver dragees, sugar pearls and sparkling sugar, if desired.

Royal Icing:
In a medium bowl, combine water and meringue powder; whisk until foamy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Use immediately.

NOTE: If you can't find meringue powder you can easily make royal icing by whipping egg whites, a touch of vanilla extract, and powdered sugar together until you get the right consistency (it should be thick, white and glossy). Just thin out that icing with a touch of water.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

I recently said "so long" to Winter in one of my posts. Sorry Winter, I will not miss you, I will miss the holidays and having a "bug-less" apartment...but that's about it...

Peace out girl scout!

Seriously though, yesterday I was minding my own business when I spotted a huge black spider scurry across my floor...I shrieked so loud Kirby started barking...whoops! I shudder at the thought of spiders...

Gross.

I also said "so long" to winter by making these hot cocoa cookies. During the last couple weeks of that dreadful season I made these for Shawn and I as we cuddled up on the couch to watch some movies...since that is all I ever want to do in the winter...

Eat+cuddle+movies= :)

Let me tell you about where I found these cookies. Guys, I have a blog idol. I stumbled across this brilliant woman's blog on accident and am so glad I did. Everytime I visit How Sweet Eats my jaw drops. Not only do we have very similar cooking likes and dislikes and styles (we have made a lot of the same things, hers being much better but I accept that) but she is pure genious.

Her ideas leave me smacking myself wondering why the heck I didn't think of that! Like these cookies for instance! Genius. Also, her pictures are always so beautiful...One day, I hope mine look that good...once I find a good camera and a place to steal natural light...I'm telling you...go to her blog now. You may never come back to mine, but like I said, I idolize her blog...so it's okay....

Of course, her cookies look much better than mine. I used one of those tiny cookie scoops to make little bite-size cookies and didn't flatten them at all so they're not as flat and spread out. But they are fun because you can just pop them right in your mouth. This is also dangerous because by the 6th pop, you realize what you've done...whoopsie.

I also wanted to add marshmallows to the top because my favorite thing about hot cocoa are the marshmallows that float around the top. Had I made bigger cookies, I could have used more marshmallows but oh well...

Hot Cocoa Cookies
From Howsweeteats.com

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Stir in marshmallow fluff.

Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove, and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Make sure cookies are fully cooked, because they will be very sticky from the marshmallows. Allow cookies to cool completely, even sticking them in the fridge for 15 minutes before removing from the baking sheet with a spatula. Be patient and gently remove cookies – let sit another 30 minutes.

Winter Wonderland Sugar Cookies

I am so incredibly excited by this shift in weather. I was able to go outside today without a jacket no problem. For those of you who live in states where your sunshine is loyal to you, you have no idea what I am talking about. But here in Ohio you can never count on what the weather will be like. You always have to leave the house in a bikini, rain boots and a parka...its insane...

no joke...

I am writing this blog with the window open and the breeze flowing and I am loving it. I hate winter...I love the snow for about 2 weeks and then I spend the rest of the season in hibernation cursing mother nature.

Back when the ground was covered in snow and the wind was blistering cold I lost my car keys...remember my long drawn out stressful post? Yeah, back then. Two of my classmates were nice enough to help me search out in that horrible weather so I owed them....big time...

One of them requested sugar cookies but I wanted to make them special by rolling them around in pretty sanding sugar for some sparkle and shine. The winter weather inspired me so I went for blue and clear. Of course you can do these with any colors for any occasion...

I post this in hopes of kissing winter goodbye soon and welcoming my second favorite season...crossing my fingers...

Though I still have an unbrella, scarf and flip flops packed for tomorrow ;)

Winter Wonderland Sugar Cookies
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup colored sanding sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, roll the balls in sanding sugar and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Push the tops down just a tad so they spread nicely.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Cake Mix Pudding Cookies

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday. Unfortunately for me, Shawn and I didn't get to spend much time together today but we did get to celebrate Vday yesterday. We decided to have a laid back, no fuss holiday. We just wanted to spend quality time together so we decided to make dinner together. This never happens as I am the queen of the kitchen...

I actually like cooking with him. Which is surprising because I tend to bite those who enter my kitchen while I am hard at work...true story. I was even nice enough to let him pick out the main course and the sides...as long as I got to pick dessert...

duh...

Shawn and I have two total opposite preferences when it comes to dessert. He likes things light, refreshing and fruity while I like rich, indulgent dessert. I was feeling romantic I guess and decided to make a "Shawn" dessert and a "Tarrah" dessert...

A strawberry angel food cake roll and a dark chocolate truffle cheesecake (both of which are lighter, slightly guilt-free recipes!)

Why I get so ambitious is beyond me...

But it worked out...for the most part...but the details will come when I post the said recipes. He chose a grilled salmon, wild rice and salad. We had a light and delicous meal and it was fabulous. He insisted on buying all the food and was such a jerk that he brought me my favorite color rose, peach, but I was prepared.

I know when I am on the road I love snacks and he is constantly on the road so I scoured the grocery store for all his favorites and even some stuff that I thought he would like and put together an "on the road survival kit" if you will...ha! Oh, and Kirby also got him a card so I had to throw together something small...

None of this is relevant to todays post...so onward!

I came up with these cookies to make for the woman who always does my hair. When I lost my car keys a few weeks ago (remember that long stressful post?) I missed my hair appointment and felt bad that I took up space on her schedule.

Cookies fix everything if you ask me so I searched my pantry and found a box of spice cake mix and a box of pumpkin spice pudding and was determined to make something out of it. The inspiration from the cake mix cookies I posted was still present so I figured I'd throw a little something something together and it worked!

These were fluffy cake-like cookies that I could not stop "testing". The pudding made them super moist and almost fudgy...I say everyone who reads this should go through their pantry and try to find these things and mix and match with different flavors...

fun fun!

Cake Mix Pudding Cookies
Dame Good

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package dry instant pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and water in a large bowl.

Scoop dough using a cookie scoop and set on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the top slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees F  for 8 - 10 minutes.

Cake Mix Cookies

I haven't talked a whole lot about my educational journey. For my 4 years at Ohio State I was sure I wanted to be a marriage and family mental health counselor. I volunteered at the suicide hotline for a year and realized that my patience and control was not at the level it needs to be for that field. When I actually helped people, I felt wonderful but man was it a frustrating experience.

I then took American Sign Language for my foreign language requirement. I had always wanted to learn and had an interest in deaf culture. I was born hard of hearing and have worn hearing aids since second grade. Kids would always ask me if I knew ASL and I would pretend I did because I really wanted to! So, in a way, I have always wanted to be a sign language interpreter, but never knew as a youngster that it was something I could grow up to be!

After taking ASL, I fell in love. I'm truly passionate about the language and the culture. It really is a beautiful and amazing thing. I never realized how ignorant, myself included, people are about deafness. So now I am working towards getting an Associates degree in American Sign Language interpreting and I cannot wait until I attain that goal.

I bring this all up because last night I experienced my first real ASL social outside of class. It took place at a restaurant/bar in a suburb of Columbus where deaf people and ASL students alike meet up to conversate. I did not really get to communicate with any deaf people but the observations I made and being in the "conversational" environment was eye-opening. I was nervous about approaching a deaf person I don't know because I want to be so good and so fluent but I am not there yet, nor am I supposed to be, but I feel embarassed. Hopefully next time I will get the courage to make some deaf friends.

This has nothing to do with cookies but it is just something on my mind :)

Moving away from things irrelevant to cookies...I had boxed cake mix left over after making the cupcake and funfetti bark and needed to do something with it. I decided to try out cake mix cookies. I have heard about them but never tried it. They turned out pretty good. It's a different thing you can do with cake mix and theres a lot of room to play around with it. You can throw sprinkles in the batter or if you have some frosting you can make cute little cookie sandwiches (which is what I did).

Cake Mix Cookies
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 1/4 cup dry cake mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil in a large bowl. If it seems a little too dry, add a tablespoon or 2 more vegetable oil. Make little 1/2-1 inch balls with the dough and set on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees F  for 4 - 10 minutes.