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.

Apple Cider-Glazed Chicken

I was in Bob Evans one sunday morning...probably more excited than I should be for my biscuits and gravy, home fries and pancakes...aka the most healthy meal of my life.

It was sunday...I was allowed.

Anyways, I saw something about apple cider-glazed chicken and pork chops and decided then and there to scour the internet in search of a similar recipe because that sounded...well...amazing.

The one I found was just that. It was fairly easy to make and tasted like fall. I made it with thyme roasted sweet potatoes...delish if I do say so myself.

Apple Cider-Glazed Chicken
From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Preheat a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 1 minute or until the surface of the pan is hot. Add the oil and heat until rippling on the surface. Pat the chicken breast dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until the meat is golden, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts, lower the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cook until firm to the touch or an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 4 to 6 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest.

Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet. Add the vinegar and deglaze over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the cider and the broth. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens to form a sauce, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice and thyme leaves. Return the chicken to the pan, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve.

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.