This afternoon I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies using a recipe I found on the Food Network website. The cookies are very soft ... just how I like them ... with a hint of pumpkin and all the yummy pumpkin pie spices. They aren't the prettiest cookies I have ever made, but they make up for it in taste.
Speaking of pretty, my mom made me the table runner in the picture. One side is Halloween themed, and the other side has a fall leaf print. Thanks, mom!
For dinner I made Jared's favorite, Cornish game hens. As a side, I made mashed sweet potatoes and using a pastry tip, piped them to look like pumpkins. My inspiration came from the usual source - Martha Stewart. If you follow that link, you'll find a photo of sweet potato pumpkins and regular mashed potato (or rather, Boo-tato) ghosts. The mashed sweet potato recipe I used was in this month's Everyday Food magazine and there is also an article online.
Isn't my little pumpkin patch cute?
More pumpkin treats to come this week ....
| Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe - George Duran The Food Network 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. 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. |
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Place sweet potatoes in steamer basket and cover; steam until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain, and return to saucepan.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring half-and-half, butter, and brown sugar to a simmer, stirring to combine; remove from heat. Add to drained sweet potatoes, and mash just until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Makes 3 cups.