pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Continuing in the pure pumpkin puree series, I bring you this cake cookie.  While they aren't frosted, I think these cookies give the Starbucks pumpkin scone a run for its money.

Yield: 24 cookies
160 calories per cookie
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

ingredients

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 dark chocolate bar, crushed

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Remove the chocolate bar from the wrapper, place into a Ziplock bag, and crush in small pieces. I like use my rolling pin, although my downstairs neighbors may see it differently. Why use a chocolate bar? No special reason, other than I thought dark chocolate would pair nicely with the savory pumpkin rather than milk chocolate. I've also found it more cost effective to buy higher quality chocolate bars for single use baking rather than overpriced bags of chips.

3. In your stand mixer bowl, combine all the ingredients.

4. With the paddle attached, knead  on a speed of 4 until very well combined.

5. Drop by spoonful onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

6. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 12 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

cake, cake, and more cake!

Continually amazed by the creativity of the party planners, last month Extra-Ordinary Birthdays out did itself with the fantastic parties it threw for some very special youngsters and their families. This month, we partied in the jungle with Elmo and some super heroes.

As I mentioned in last month's post, I'm the first to over think a cake plan. This month, I focused on the details rather than stacking up layers of cake. The cake recipes I used can be found here and here. I used store bought frosting, but used food gel to bring the cakes to life.

blueberry doughnuts

While my doughnuts will never be as delicious as those purveyed by the Mighty-O, I gave it the old college try to honor of National Doughnut Day!

 

I made my own doughnut pan for one batch and made doughnut muffins with the other. Building the doughnut molds was very easy, but used up a lot of aluminum foil. Because doughnut pans are pretty inexpensive, I recommend buying one even if only for the mental reassurance that you're eating a doughnut. :)

 

Yield: 12 doughnuts
280 calories per doughnut (Take that Dunkin' Donuts)
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

ingredients

the batter

1/4 cup butter, melted at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons yeast

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup lukewarm milk

the add-ins

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup coconut flakes

1 tablespoon milk

preparation 

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm milk, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes. (No foam = dead yeast. Either your milk was too hot or your yeast was expired.)

 

3. Grease your doughnut pan or line your muffin tin with liners.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, and sugars.

5. Add in the eggs, whisking to combine.

6. Stir in the baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

7. Add in the all-purpose flour, mixing well to incorporate.

8. Stir in half the milk mixture, mixing well to incorporate.

9. Add in the wheat flour and remaining milk mixture, mixing well to incorporate.

10. Evenly split the batter into two separate bowls. 

11. Add the blueberries to one bowl, stirring well to mix. Add the cocoa powder, coconut flakes, and tablespoon of milk to the other bowl, mixing well to incorporate. 

12. Scoop the blueberry batter into a pastry (or Ziplock) bag. Pipe the batter into the doughnut wells, about 2/3 full.

13. Repeat the process with the chocolate batter and a fresh pastry (or Ziplock) bag.

14. Bake until the doughnuts are pale brown, about 15 minutes

15. Remove from pan from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. 

16. After the pan/aluminum foil is cool enough to touch, remove the doughnuts from the pan. (If you've used aluminum foil, you can easily pull the foil outwards to release the doughnut.) 

17. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Other modifications:

• Change up the add-ins
• Use baking powder instead of yeast
• Make a glaze (see recipe below)
• Use Greek yogurt instead if milk

Original recipe found here.