Monday, September 26, 2011

So, I Guess This Makes Me a "Pumpkinhead"

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
 So the Deadheads have the Grateful Dead and the Parrotheads have Jimmy Buffet. This weekend, I had my pumpkin! As much as I'm trying to hang on, it's time to admit that summer is on its way out and Fall is taking over. I had my first pumpkin spice latte last week, and that just gave me the taste for it and I have not been able to stop thinking about the flavor all week long.

Made for sharing!
 So this weekend, I decided to play around in the kitchen and bake a little. Just last week it had been in the high '90's and there was no way I was going to turn the oven on and heat up my house. With our recent temperature drop and gray morning skies, I decided it was time to crank that baby up. It was an impromptu decision, so I went with whatever ingredients I had on hand. Whole wheat flour, eggs, canned pumpkin, chocolate chips, vanilla, check. Plus a few more pantry staples. These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were inspired by this recipe at Skinnytaste. Next time I will definitely make them with nuts in them...walnuts perhaps? They were soft and chewy, and yummy. But of course.

Chock full of pumpkin
I could not be stopped. I made the cookies and they were good, but I was still craving more pumpkin. If was on the verge of making a pie when I saw a recipe for pumpkin banana bread, which sounded great...but then I thought, "Wouldn't pumpkin muffins be better?" I was on the hunt for a recipe did not require buttermilk, which I did not have at home. I found this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It was hilarious to read, but I was actually afraid to follow this recipe. She made mistakes along the way and wasn't sure how the actual recipe would turn out. I am the SAME WAY. And I got to thinking, if I make mistakes on top of that (which I always do...I'm always "winging it" in some way) what if these turn out totally effed up? I definitely want to try these another day now that I have tried making pumpkin muffins and somewhat know what I am doing. To be honest I consulted a few recipes and winged it once again. All I know is they ended up turning out SO good.

Sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top before baking

Moist and delicious, the right amount of pumpkin!
What flavors make you think of fall? I've been seeing a lot of apple recipes lately. But nothing does it for me like pumpkin. And I'm still going to make that pie.

4 comments:

  1. Apples and pumpkin are my go-to Fall flavors, though I do have a hard time giving up the summer squashes. Your pumpkin creations look oh so scrumptious! I've been trying extra hard to stay away from the PSLs this season (Pumpkin Spice Lattes). So, I'm game to find a way to make them at home, with coffee rather than espresso (though I love the espresso, there's always coffee left over, already made from Hubby making a pot in the morning & I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth...not that I'm calling him a horse or anything! ;>) and with stevia & no heavy milk products (either skim cow's milk or a milk alternative). If you come up with something, do share the homemade PSL mojo, if ya would! :>

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  2. I know I'm going to sound super strange but I hate pumpkin anything - so it never really reminds me of fall. I love apples and apple picking and apple cider and those things are always synonymous with fall for me.

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  3. Karen, check out this recipe. Not sure if it meets your dietary restrictions but I think so! http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/skinny-pumpkin-spiced-latte.html

    Barbara, not strange at all. I think a lot of people think apples when fall comes around. Pumpkin is not for everyone :)

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  4. These look great and sound simple enough. Now convincing myself and the kids to actually like pumpkin is the hard part. Will be baking an apple pie today :)

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