SoupSpoon

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two cookies in a row is not really fair to you, I know, but these are totally worth it. My friend, Emily, started it, actually, by saying that she made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies over the weekend. I immediately started to obsess. Pumpkin and Chocolate in a cookie! There are those among us that think that sentence is sacrilegious; I know my dad is one of them. He is a purist when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, and the very mention of an orange squash trampling the perfection of a simple chocolate chip cookie would make him cringe to be sure. Despite his initial response, if I could convince him to let one bite pass his lips, he would have to acknowledge that this is not a destructive plot to ruin all things Holy. In fact, he might even have two bites.

Despite being in the middle of way too many things, I threw a batch of these in the oven last night and am overwhelmingly glad I did. Emily sent me the recipe she used and warned me that they did not spread as much as she would have liked. I took that good warning and found another recipe by George Duran that seemed to have more spread potential with a higher baking soda content and no baking powder. I think we found a winner!

Sometimes with pumpkin cookies they can turn a mucky orange brown color that is not all that desirable, but these are a pretty golden hue. Light with a cake like texture due to the pumpkin, they are a perfect fall day treat. (I think any mom could get any kid to eat a fair share of pumpkin with a batch of these around.)

The batch made over forty cookies, and so I sent Stephen to work with a full tub to share. There are likely to be happy pumpkin eating bellies around the office today, and perhaps a few converts to the dark side of pumpkin mixed with chocolate chip cookies. (Dad, you are next.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe by George Duran makes over 40 cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet (I used dark chocolate and they were great)
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

2. Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (mine baked 13 minutes), or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Crackle Top Molasses Cookies

I am not sure why I am obsessed with this, but I absolutely melt in front of a cookie with a crackle top. Only a few varieties of cookies bake with a crackle top, and I have begun to think I should develop a repertoire devoted to such. I just love it. If you have a cookie recipe that bakes with a crackle top, would you please feed my obsession and share your recipe with me? I will be forever gratefully obsessed.

Molasses and the fall weather go hand in hand. Blackstrap molasses touts quite a healthy resume with its bulk of Iron and Calcium. The sweeter molasses, plain old unsulphured molasses, has less of the minerals but packs a tasty punch. Though most recipes tell you to never bake with Blackstrap because of the strong flavor, I disagree. Many loaves of gingerbread around these parts have been made with Blackstrap, and I must say they taste rather perfect. Though I recommend unsulphured in this recipe, for many other recipes I would say either variety is fine.

Each bite begs for a mug of hot apple cider or to be dunked in a big glass of milk. I think you should start baking.

Crackle Top Molasses Cookies makes 30
I made these again and decided to edit my recipe to be the 1/2 cup molasses version. I think you will like them. Thin and slightly crisp. These molasses cookies are much closer to a gingersnap and if you are looking for a softer baked molasses cookie, try these. enjoy

1/2 cup butter unsalted, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for dipping)
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350. Cream butter with sugars and molasses. Beat in the egg
2. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the creamed butter
3. Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, Shape dough into small golf ball portions and dip each top into white sugar as seen in photo above
4. Bake on lined baking sheet at 350 for 12-13 minutes. enjoy!

pumpkins, chili, and friends

Over the last ten days Stephen and I made the grand fall-family-tour. Last weekend we drove to Cincinnati, OH. On the way back we took a mid way stop in Asheville, NC, (to see Natalie visiting from Africa!), and ended the week in Southport, NC for work. We rolled 1800 miles along the open road, and gawked our way through the beginning of fall foliage. The best part of the lengthy drive to Ohio, besides a great book on tape and time with Stephen, is the warm house waiting on the other end.

I grew up outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, and now my parents share their time between Ohio and North Carolina. Though I would consider myself to have loved many places since Ohio, when I get to go back, there will always be a part of me that says, "I am going home." The people who raised me, the land that fed me, the friends who grew up with me; these are the puzzle pieces that make the place I call home. Ohio is good stock.

My Lo and her Caleb spent Saturday with us picking pumpkins, making soup, and sharing as many stories as could fit in a short afternoon. Oh within seconds, that little guy just reaches right up, and snatches your heart.

There is something indescribably beautiful in watching my life-long best friend be a mom. We have known each since we were kids, and now seeing Lo in her child is just something I have yet to be able to describe. Maybe one day I will figure out what word can describe that emotion. Maybe there isn't one.

In two packed days we celebrated my brother's birthday, had tea with my Queen, ate a tender Boston Butt that Mom made in honor of Stephen (he is so spoiled), walked along the river, and relished long cool evenings in the hot tub. Basically, I could say that it was perfect. Perfectly home and perfectly fall.
60 Degree days and 40 degree nights brought out the soup pot twice while we were there, and I have already made a heaping pot of chili once since we got back in town.

You can feel how you want to feel about it, but I love chili. It has taken years to be able to admit that. Simple, staple chili is just fine by me. As much as I like the way it tastes, I think what I really love about chili is that it is made in huge quantities that need a lot of people to come over and share it. That is probably the best part, the sharing. This recipe sort of happened by chance and immediately became a favorite. It has been over in the recipe page for a year, but I have neglected to post about it until now. I hope you like it.

After all, it is finally fall, and this is the season for supper to come in a big simmering pot shared with friends.

Turkey Chili serves 6
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 yellow onion, small diced
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1 yellow bell pepper, small diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)
6 cups of beans (about 3, 12 oz. cans), drained and rinsed. (I use 2 cans black beans and 1 can pinto beans)
3 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 25 ounce can tomato sauce (not pasta sauce, just simple plain pureed tomato sauce)
1 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (optional)
1 12 ounce Porter (Sierra Nevada or an oatmeal porter)*
    * I made this with half of an Autumn Ale once instead of a porter, and it was also very delicious. Sometimes I make it with a full beer and sometimes I use half a beer. It works well either way.

1. Sauté onion, peppers, salt, and spices in olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir frequently
2. Add ground turkey to pot and brown the meat for 5-10 minutes
3. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes if using, and porter
4. Bring to a boil, stir well, and reduce to a simmer. Leave uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes. Serve with cornbread, over rice, or with roasted potato wedges
5. enjoy

butternut welcomes one and all (and fall)

There is a humble winter squash that possesses the strength to sway, influence, and convert even the most non-squash loving friends into lovers of squash.

On its own, butternut is neither too sweet nor too starchy. I have learned that the key to preparing winter squash for a crowd that has yet to be converted into lovers of squash, is to balance the sweet with a bit of kick. Recently my friend Emily told me that she has started to like winter squash because of having it this way, and I hope you make this and feel the same. Of course if the crowd you are trying to woo is under the age of 10, you might need to go easy on the kick, but if your crowd can handle a little heat, I say full speed ahead.

Roasted vegetables epitomize the beginning of fall. The hot oven caramelizes the natural sweetness of the vegetables, and gives them a crisp glorious brown edge. Because most of the winter squashes have a natural sweetness, my goal is to enhance the sweetness, not hide it or smother it with tiny marshmallows (no matter how nostalgic that may be).

Slightly candied, slightly spicy, this is perfect along side grilled steaks or roasted chicken. We tossed our butternut into pasta with garlic, feta, and kale. Simply perfect.

Candied and Spiced Butternut Squash

1 medium sized butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground ginger, black pepper, and salt
1/8 teaspoon (pinch) of cayenne pepper

1. Heat oven to 400. Peel and cut butternut into two long halves. Scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces
2. In a small bowl combine the dry spices and salt. Mix well
3. Toss squash with spices and salt. Toss well with olive oil and maple syrup
4. Spread on lined  baking sheet and roast at 400 for 30 minutes until tender

Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale, and Feta Pasta serves 4
1 pound bag of penne
1 recipe of candied and spiced butternut squash
2 cups minced fresh kale
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup crumbled feta
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Toss in minced kale, pasta, and garlic
2. Boil for 8-10 minutes according to pasta directions. The kale needs to boil for at least 8 minutes, and so if you are using fresh pasta that cooks faster than that, add kale to boiling water first and then add pasta for necessary cook time
3. Strain off boiling water. Gentle toss in squash. Pepper and salt to taste. Top with a sprinkle of feta and serve