Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

For the past few years I've been making Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies from a recipe I found on www.verybestbaking.com. I never add the glaze and always included chocolate chips. They are a hit every time. Last week I made a batch with Katie. We didn't have quite enough left from that batch to take with us to PEPS this week, so I decided to make another batch. At the last minute, I got brave and experimented. I reduced the flour by 1/4 cup and added 1/4 cup of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa. So, they ended up being a double chocolate pumpkin cookie. Ben wondered if he would notice the chocolate flavor of the dough without seeing the color. I wonder if we would notice the pumpkin if the cinnamon and nutmeg were omitted. I guess I might need to bake a few more batches and do a blind taste test. 

Here's a link to the original recipe:   Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Here's the adjusted recipe for Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN COOKIES

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.  
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges are firm. Let rest on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Tuesday, 3/22/2011

Wow, I just realized that I've been writing this blog for a year today.   Happy Blogiversary to me:)
 
We gathered with our parent support group at Mike, Naomi, and Oliver's house this evening.  They made two quiches for the main dish- spinach/mushroom and asparagus/ham.  And, yes, the plural of quiche is quiches:)  The rest of the group brought bread and a yummy green salad.  We took butterscotch chip, oatmeal cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert.  I was only planning on taking cookies, but when Katie and I left out one cup of oats, I worried that they were a bit too crispy and thin to stand alone.  I realize that when baking with a two-year-old, I am responsible for the accuracy of our counting and measuring.  However, I also realize that baking with a two-year-old leads to many distractions.  I'm just thankful that they still tasted delicious.  Here's the recipe for the cookies:

OATMEAL SCOTCHIES

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. 3. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Wednesday, 12/22/2010

After dropping my mom off at work this morning, Ben, Katie and I drove out to visit with my Grandma Kate.  While Ben kept Katie occupied, Grandma taught me how to make peanut brittle. What fun! This was the first time I have ever made candy from a recipe that depended on using a thermometer.  I helped Grandma make the first batch, and then she watched while I made the second batch.  I am pleased to say I didn't mess it up.  The brittle was delicious.  Now, I just need to get myself a marble slab so that I can make it myself;) 

We left Grandma's house and met up with Josh and James, two of my friends from youth group, at a Starbucks.  It was wonderful to catch up with them.  It's been several years since we crossed paths at church.  After finishing our hot beverages, we picked up my mom from work and headed to church.  I am going to be singing Christmas Eve at church with my dad and a few church friends.  We gathered at the church tonight to go through the song a couple times.  Before we sang, we ate pizza and chocolate chip cookies for dinner. 

Wednesday, 12/15/2010

I shredded some of the left over rotisserie chicken from Monday and made chicken burritos tonight.  Katie wasn't interested in a burrito and opted for a pb&j sandwich instead.  About halfway through her half sandwich, she declared that she wanted a cookie.  We told her she could have a cookie when she finished her sandwich.  It took AN HOUR for her to finish that half sandwich.  I think Ben and I finished eating in 10 minutes.  After a half hour, Ben left the table to get some other things done while I waited with Katie.  Finally, the sandwich was gone and she got her cookie.  You would think that she would eat it quickly given how long she had been sitting and waiting for it.  But no, it was another 25 minutes before she finished that dang sugar cookie. My goodness, that was a long and boring meal.

Wednesday, 9/15/2010

P.F. Chang's has come out with a line of frozen meals for two.  I noticed them in a freezer at the end of an aisle at the store this week and decided to give it a try.   I chose the Shanghai Style Beef variety--beef with a sweet and savory sauce, onions, string beans and red bell peppers.  It was really easy to make.  Empty the bag of frozen ingredients into a non-stick skillet, cover and heat on a medium-high burner for 6 minutes.  Then remove the cover and cook for another 7 minutes or until the sauce thickens and food is hot.  I didn't have to add anything to the dish.  It was plenty of food for Ben and me.  Other than being heavy on the onions, it wasn't bad at all.  I think I paid $7.99 for the meal, which is definitely less than it would have cost me to purchase all of the ingredients for it. I'll definitely try another variety. 

Katie was ready to eat before we were.  She ate watermelon chunks, cheddar cheese sticks and deli counter chicken breast.  When it was time for Ben and me to eat, she was begging for a cookie with the most adorable little girl smile.  I couldn't resist.  She got her cookie:) A week ago she called them "co-coos".  Now she proudly calls them "cookeees".  It is certainly a joy watching her figure things out. 

Friday, 9/10/2010

Today is technically not the first Friday of the month; however, Ben's company celebrated "First Friday" tonight. In a nut shell, employees from his company gather together the first Friday of each month at a local restaurant or tavern to chat, eat, and have a few drinks.  Due to Labor Day weekend, this month's gathering was postponed a week, until today.  Katie and I had been out and about, running errands, and stopped by Ben's office to take him home.  When he mentioned that first Friday was in progress, we decided to park the car and partake.  We met his coworkers at El Malecon, on the corner of Seneca and Post Alley.  It is just a block away from his office; so, it is convenient.  The servers are nice and the food is OK.  The best part is that there is always room for a large party. 

I was starving by the time we got there, so I basically ate nachos along with a margarita for dinner.  Ben only ate a couple chips, so he had left over spaghetti and garlic bread when we got home. Katie was quite entertaining at the restaurant.  She said "hi" to everyone, gave fist bumps and high-fives, and played with her food.  She didn't eat much, but that does seem to be a dinner trend these days.  

After we put Katie down for the night, I started to bake cookies for our church's 2nd time sale tomorrow.  If you are in or near West Seattle and you like to hunt for treasures, you should stop by Fauntleroy Church UCC tomorrow, between 9am and 3pm.  In addition to the great deals, you will find delicious baked goods...like my cookies:)  I baked Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies using a recipe I got from www.verybestbaking.com--a Nestle website.  The specific recipe is found here:  http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32364. 

A couple notes about the cookie recipe:

• I add in a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for each batch.  The recipe says you can add an optional 1/2 cup.  I found that I needed more chocolate:)
• I have never made the glaze that the recipe calls for.  I don't think the cookies need it with the chocolate chips.  Also, the glaze would make them too sticky to stack and store efficiently.  
• In my oven, the cookies are definitely done in 15 minutes.   
• I don't grease the baking sheets, because I line my baking sheets with Silpat--non-stick baking mat. 

After eating his first pumpkin cookies of the season, Ben said "Ah, Fall is here" with a big smile on his face:)

Wednesday, 8/18/2010

Tonight was a repeat of last night--homemade pizza.  Ben's quote for tonight, "This is good.  I LOVE this pizza!"  Ok, yes, the dough was purchased, but I did roll it out and put all the toppings on top:)  Katie has not been a fan of this pizza.  She asked for some both nights, but didn't do much more than lick it a little.  I actually was surprised she wanted to eat anything tonight.  We went to our friend Nancy's house this afternoon, and Katie did not stop eating the entire three hours we were there.  She drank milk and water, ate lots of watermelon, two large cookies, and a handful of grapes.  And then, she insisted on eating goldfish crackers the entire 15 minute drive home.  At home, she ate a little bit of turkey deli meat and some fresh peas.  Perhaps she is in a growing spurt:) 

Friday, 8/13/2010

We drove down to Portland this evening with Ben's brother Spencer.  Their cousin's step-daughter is getting married tomorrow, and Ben and I are the wedding photographers.  We stopped in Tukwila to have dinner at Panera Bread. We all enjoyed the meals we chose. I had a Bacon, Turkey Bravo sandwich--smoked turkey breast, bacon, smoked Gouda, and dressing, on tomato basil bread.  The bread is super moist and yummy. Ben had the Frontega Chicken panini--smoked & pulled white meat chicken, mozzarella,chopped basil & chipotle mayonnaise, grilled hot on Focaccia.  Spencer had 1/2 a sandwich (can't remember which one) with macaroni and cheese.  Katie ate some of the turkey from my sandwich, a couple tiny bites of apple, and a few chips.  

We got one large chocolate chip cookie to share.  Katie certainly does like a chocolate "cooka".  It takes her a long time to eat a cookie.  Eventually, I had to take advantage of her love of "sharing" her food with us.  Usually, that means she shoves her food into our faces whether we want it or not.  Tonight, I asked her for a bite in order to get a move on.  Thankfully, she was in the mood to share--more cookie for me!

Saturday, 7/24/2010

Happy Wedding Day Laura and David!!!

We started taking photos of the big event at 1pm today and didn't stop until just before 10pm. It was a beautiful wedding. Laura was stunning, and David was very handsome. What an honor to record their special day in photos.

The reception was held at The Hall at Fauntleroy and was catered by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes. Our wedding reception was held in the same place and catered by the same company, so we knew the food would be good. Thankfully, there was a good break during the reception during which we could get some food. I had a green salad with dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette, a watermelon, blueberry with mint salad, salmon, grilled asparagus and peppers, and bread for dinner. Ben opted for steak instead of the salmon.

Laura and David chose two different cakes to serve their guests. Ben and I both had a piece of chocolate cake. It was divine! I can't be sure, but I think the filling between cake layers was a chocolate butter cream or mousse and the frosting was cream cheese. What made it so amazing was that the cake was chilled. The reception hall was quite warm, so the chilled filling and frosting made the cake quite refreshing:) I believe Laura said the cake came from the Macrina Bakery.

Although the dinner was delicious, the best part of the catered food was the double chocolate chip cookies that were served around 9:30pm. Laura's mom told us that they were her favorite thing that they ordered. She was soo right. They were outstanding!!!

Friday, 7/23/2010

We attended the wedding rehearsal for our friends Laura and David this afternoon. We are going to be their photographers tomorrow. They were kind enough to invite us to their post-rehearsal reception downtown Seattle at the Red Lion Hotel. They reserved half of the lounge and patio for their guests. We were lucky to find a table to sit down at. We enjoyed pulled pork sliders, egg rolls, hummus, potato wedges, fried shrimp, and plenty of cookies and tasty desserts. It was a very nice evening until...Katie puked. Yes, that's right...she puked at the reception. (Just warning you now that I am going to get a bit graphic in the rest of this post.)

We think that the puking was triggered when she choked/gagged on a small piece of chocolate truffle. She had been drinking a ton of water and eating cheese just prior to the incident, so it was like a small, yet foul, geiser that mainly landed directly on my sandal covered foot. YUCK!!! She seemed fine and was only concerned about the puke which was running down her leg. Ben ran to go get some help from the hotel staff. The nicest waitress name Monica came to our rescue. She brought us wet towels to clean up with and even took our soiled shoes into the back to wash them for us. We stripped Katie down to her diaper cover and clothed her in a very large tie-died shirt. It was a youth size small:) Anyway, we got cleaned up enough to leave, said our goodbyes and went home.

Sunday, 7/18/2010

We took a trip to Costco today. We didn't really need anything, but ended up getting a few things anyway--halibut, ground beef, eggs, foil, and pork tamales. The tamales were super easy to prepare and were delicious for our dinner. The pork was wonderfully seasoned to be a bit spicy. They were all prepared in corn husks. All we had to do was steam them for 10-12 minutes. Piece of cake! Plus, it gave Ben a chance to use our All-Clad steamer basket:) We've used the pasta insert numerous times, but this was the first time we used the steamer basket.

Katie threw a most spectacular tantrum after her nap this afternoon when we wouldn't give her a cookie before dinner. I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies while she was napping, to take over to our neighbors. They welcomed their first son, Oliver, into the world over the weekend. When she came downstairs after her nap, she spotted the cooling racks full of cookies. She immediately began chanting "cracka, cracka, cracka", which is her way of saying cracker. We did our best to explain that she could have one after dinner. That didn't work.

There were huge alligator tears rolling down her cheeks. She flung herself onto the floor over and over again. She hit her diaper bag and pulled stuff out of it kind of violently. For a little while, we thought she might be having serious teething pain based on her irrational behavior. But no, she only wanted cookies. To be fair, I must note that we had a very busy morning and that her nap didn't start until after 2pm--about 4 hours later than normal. Anyway, she woke up on the wrong side of the crib without the patience to wait for a cookie. The funniest part of the story is that, when she finally finished dinner and got her cookie, she barely ate any of it. She was more interested in sharing it with daddy than actually eating it. Worked out fine for daddy:)

Friday, 7/9/2010

We took my mom to the airport this morning. She was meeting her sisters and mom there. They were heading to Paul, Idaho, for my grandma's school reunion. Knowing that we would just be finishing a week long vacation, I opted to not go this year. It was fun to see them all, until Katie completely melted down. I think the combination of being tired and teething pain got the best of her.


We took it easy the rest of the day. We tried to put Katie down a couple times, but she just wasn't having it. I napped for an hour or so myself. Finally, at 4pm, Ben got her down. It took quite a lot of patience and effort on his part. Thanks Ben! We played games while she napped and woke her up in time for dinner. We had coldcut sandwiches and fruit for dinner with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and orange cream ice cream for dessert. If you haven't tried Oroweat's Sandwich Thins yet, I highly recommend them. 100 calories total for two pieces of bread. We had our sandwiches tonight on a "hoagie" variety. Very tasty!

Saturday, 7/3/2010

My parents joined us in Redmond today. We hooked up the swing on Grandma Jennifer's porch and let Katie swing away. She LOVES to swing!!!


Whenever we are in Redmond for a weekend, there is always at least one trip to the grocery store. We went to Fred Meyer and ordered lunch from the deli there. Then we split off to shop for tonight and tomorrow's dinners. After several ideas were thrown out for tonight's dinner, we settled on steaks--which Ben grilled, corn on the cob, and a caesar salad. For dessert, my dad baked fresh chocolate chip cookies. What a great way to start our vacation!

Sunday, 4/11/2010

Just realized, again, that today is Sunday. And, although I am sad that the weekend is ending, I am pleased to say that it concluded with a delicious meal. It even included a salad;) Here's what I made: Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Red Pepper Bacon Sauce, Caesar Salad, and Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies.


PAN FRIED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 pork tenderloin- cut and flattened
flour
kosher salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
vegetable oil

Cut tenderloin into 1/2 in slices. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, place a slice on it, and fold plastic over the pork. Using a meat mallet, flatten the slice of pork until it is approximately 1/4" thick.

Dredge each piece in a mixture of flour, salt, and peppers.

Heat oil in a medium pan (don't use non-stick). Put pieces of pork into the oil and leave alone until slight browning occurs. Turn and leave alone until slight browning occurs and pork is cooked through. You may need to do this step in batches. Move cooked pieces onto a paper towel covered plate until ready to serve and keep warm.

The pork was tender and moist, but lacked the crispy outside I hoped for. Next time I might try leaving more of the flour on or dunk the pieces in an egg bath before dredging in the flour.

ROASTED RED PEPPER & BACON SAUCE

1 1/2 cups jarred roasted red peppers, drained (10-ounce jar)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

1. Puree red peppers, tomatoes, oregano, cayenne, wine, and oil in food processor or blender until smooth.

2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes (took me longer). Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pan and return to medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red pepper mixture to skillet and bring to simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors meld, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and half the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

I found this sauce recipe in a magazine- not sure which one. Credit goes to Patricia Lohrey of Port Ludlow, WA. It was intended to be a pasta sauce. We tried it with spaghetti a couple months ago and loved it! Seemed like it would go well with the pork tenderloin I had in the fridge. I ladled some of the sauce onto the plate, placed a couple pieces of pork on top, a little more sauce and then sprinkled with the remaining crisp bacon.

The caesar salad was one from the store...everything included. I just add more parmesan cheese and black pepper.

And, the Butterscotch Oatmeal cookie recipe came straight off the butterscotch chip bag. I started making them earlier this year when I realized it gave an option to use either vanilla extract or orange zest as flavoring. The orange zest gives them amazing flavor. Much more interesting than vanilla. They are now a household favorite!

Tuesday, 3/23/2010

SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts

1. Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.
2. Heat 12-inch skillet (or if you’re advanced, a wok) over high heat. Add oil, and stir-fry chicken, garlic, and gingerroot until chicken is done (about 3 minutes).
3. Add bell pepper to chicken and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Stir in peanuts.
5. Serve over white rice.

For years I made white rice by using 2 parts water, 1 part rice. And then I saw a recipe where you saute minced garlic in a little vegetable oil in your pot until fragrant, and then add the rice and let it get a little opaque. Add chicken stock instead of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. The result is much more flavorful rice that doesn't dry out as much.

Dessert- simply Nestle's toll house cookies. The only things I do differently is that I add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients, put in 2 1/2 cups of chocolate chips instead of just 2, and leave out the nuts. Also, I find that bringing the eggs and butter to room temperature makes the cookies bake more evenly.

This recipe was one Ben adapted from a cookbook years ago. Tonight we made it for my friend Elly. Elly and I are planning a bridal shower for our friend Lauren. Katie scarfed the rice and only had a little of the red pepper and chicken. She was far more interested in hollaring at us to pay attention to her. Now, the chocolate chip cookies were a different matter. She couldn't get enough! Back and forth to Ben and I for nibbles;)