Friday, October 19, 2012

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies



When the sun is setting the trees look as
though they are lighting up.    

The leaves are at their peak,  pumpkins, gourds, mums, corn stalks, cool evenings, warm days----what a great time of year.  Another pumpkin recipe these cookies are great to grab and go for a quick snack.  It is a large batch I hadsearched through different recipes trying to find a combination that used the whole can of pumpkin lots of oatmeal and I wanted to get some whole wheat flour in there.  They came out moist and chewy, you could add dried cranberries, dried cherries, raisins, nuts, whatever you prefer.


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c sugar
2c brown sugar
2c white flour
2c whole wheat flour
2 c chocolate chips
1 c white chocolate chips
4 c oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T pumpkin pie spice (I use my own mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger see not below)
2 T vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 c unsalted butter (if using salted omit salt)
2 tsp baking soda
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° & line baking sheet with parchment.

Beat butter, sugars till creamed.  Add eggs, vanilla, pumpkin mix well.

Add flours, baking soda, & spices, to wet ingredients and mix to just blended.

Switch to dough hook of mixer if you have one then add oatmeal mix till blended.

Stir in chips till blended.

Scoop with small ice cream scoop onto baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes don't over bake.


my mixture for Pumpkin Pie spice:  2tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ginger  ---if you have someone that doesn't care for one of these spices you could easily adjust it or even leave it out.





Saturday, October 13, 2012

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins





Fall is here in full swing, we had our first heavy frost this morning---scrape the car window kind.  I brought in the houseplants yesterday after soaking & cleaning them now on to fall recipes.  Anything pumpkin goes at this house, I can't make enough recipes using it.  These muffins didn't last long but so easy to make & you can throw it together quickly.  They are good for a quick breakfast, serve with soups, or use for dessert and they freeze well if yours make it to the freezer.

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2  c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 c old fashioned oats
2/3 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 15oz canned pumpkin
1 1/2 c milk
2/3 c oil (I use canola, veg will work as well)

pecans & chocolate chips

optional topping: 
1/4 flour
4 T butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 chopped nuts

Directions:
Line muffin tin with papers, I also lightly spray them.
Place eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil into bowl and mix.
Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly but don't over mix.
I usually make 1/2 a batch then mix in the chocolate chips and nuts, depending on who is  here.  You could also mix in dried fruits or other nuts as you like.
Place an ice cream scoop size of batter into each cup, I like it 3/4 full.

If using the topping mix ingredients till crumbly and top muffins before baking.

Bake @ 400° for 15 min.