Drop Cookies: Pumpkin Oatmeal

These cookies are delicious! I am not a major oatmeal cookie fan- but these cookies have just the right amount of oats to embellish the drop cookie texture. I also added chocolate chips to this recipe- but I plan on making another batch with dried cranberries and serve around Thanksgiving. I adore drop cookies because I have come to love the aesthetic imperfection of these cookies. They look great and although they are a more complicated cookie- it is a simple process to follow.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup white sugar 

1 egg

¾ cup butter    

1 cup pumpkin (canned)

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Process

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, salt and sugar.  Add the butter and mix.  Add the egg, vanilla and pumpkin and mix.  Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.  Place in the fridge until the dough is firm (30-45 minutes).  

On a baking sheet lined with parchment place heaping tablespoons of cookie dough.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned. 

These cookies are fantastic to freeze! If you want to freeze the cookies, simply let them cool completely, then place in a freezer bag with the date and let become frozen in the freezer. 

Pumpkin Muffins

This muffin recipe is the best thing to come out of my kitchen so far this fall! I have been making an amazing pumpkin bread for years, however I wanted to change it up a little this season and add some flair. I have created a pumpkin muffin with a cream-cheese based filling- fresh from the kitchen!

Ingredients

3 cups sugar (or substitute with 1/2 truvia, 1/2 sugar)
4 eggs
3 1/3 cup of flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
1 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup water
15 oz. can of pumpkin

             Filling

8 ounces of cream cheese
1 egg
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin spice


Process


Using a large bowl, beat sugar and oil on medium; add eggs and beat well. Using a stand-alone mixer, set beater on low while adding in flour and all dry ingredients one cup at a time. Add water. Once combined, beat in pumpkin. Now that the batter is complete, it is time to work on the filling.

Mix the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and spice in a small bowl using a beat on low until well-combined and creamy. This is easier to complete if the cream cheese has been left out and softened.

Finally it is time to construct the muffins. Place paper cups in a muffin pan, and spray cups lightly with oil or cooking spray. This allows for easy removal of the muffins while eating. First, place one spoonful of muffin batter in each cup. The cup should be 1/3 filled, leaving room for the filling. Next, spoon a generous helping of filling into the middle of the paper. Be sure the filling does not touch the sides of the paper. Finally, fill the remaining cups about 2/3 full with the muffin batter.

Step 1 in muffin construction

Step 2 muffin construction

Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Be sure to use the toothpick test to rest assured your muffins are cooked completely! Insert a toothpick into the muffin, baking until it comes out clean.
This recipe will make about 18 muffins. The muffins taste best after sitting overnight! Refrigerate and serve cold or warm.

Hummus and Pita Chips

 Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans

3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt (Himalayan pink sea salt)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Spices: pinch of garlic powder, pinch of onion powder, pinch of cumin

Process

First, drain the chickpeas and set aside about ¼ cup of liquid from the can. Combine all ingredients in food processor except for liquid. After stirring, add the liquid from the chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

This is a simple process, and it is easy to add variety to the hummus. For a spicier hummus, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes and sun-dried tomato. I am currently experimenting with varieties of this original hummus, so stay tuned!

I also make my own pita chips, which is a simple, quick process and a great use of those extra pitas that are sitting in the cupboard. Simply cut the pitas in half so they are no longer pockets. Then, using a pizza cutter, slice the pitas into chip-sized pieces. Place pieces in one layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dill. Bake in the oven (at 350 degrees) for 15 minutes or until the pieces are crunchy and golden on top. 

Mini BLT's: Vegetarian Style!

It is time to enjoy the flavor of bacon without the meat! In listing the ingredients below, I include my personal preference for specific brands or varieties. In my kitchen, we are looking for ways to cut calories without cutting flavor, and keep costs minimal. 

Ingredients

pint of grape tomatoes 
1/4 c. mayo (made with canola)
1/4 c. vegetable cream cheese (1/3 less fat- Philadelphia)
          chives, diced
          Bacon-flavored pieces (McCormick)
Spices: heavy on garlic and dill, light on cilantro (gives it a kick), salt, pepper, parsley
 (recommend Himalayan Pink Sea Salt- freshly ground)

Process


Cut grape tomatoes length-wise in half and scoop out the middle of each piece. This will leave you with two "canoes" from each tomato. Place tomato face down on a paper towel to drain additional juices.

Meanwhile, mix other ingredients together- creating the filling. I do not measure my spices as I make this, I look at the color and smell. I like to see a lot of green on top before I mix it all together. 

Once the mix is finished, stand up the tomato "canoe" and scoop the mix into the tomato. As I was eating this deliciousness, I decided the next time I make this I will try something crunchy to top it with- such as a bagel chip or croutons. 

This platter was devoured in less than five minutes after placing it on the table.