cooking ala mel

healthy recipes and the occasional craft

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

At most family gatherings with my dad’s side of the family, my aunt Joie makes chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.  They’ve been one of my favorite cookies for a while, and I finally got the recipe from her last summer.  I adapted it a bit to make it a tad healthier, while still maintaining the same flavor.  Now I can eat them for breakfast if I want and not feel guilty! 🙂

 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!! 
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
Powdered sugar and milk for icing.

Cream together applesauce, sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, soda, and baking powder. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Add chocolate chips. Spoon out dough the size of a walnut onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While baking, make icing with powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle icing on cookies while warm. Makes 4 doz.

Flourless Chocolate Mini Cupcakes

I’m a huge fan of flourless chocolate cake. My mom makes the best Bête Noire, which I’m sure will be posted eventually; I’ve made it a few times for Alex, who loves it.  My friend’s band was coming through Buffalo on tour, so I decided to make these cupcakes for them, as when I visit Seattle, we go to the Greenlake Bar and Grill to get some of their flourless chocolate cake.

Flourless Chocolate Mini Cupcakes
makes roughly 4 dozen mini cupcakes

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
6 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 T cocoa powder, sifted
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place paper baking cups into mini muffin pan. Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, cream the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and remaining ingredients.

Spoon the batter into the cups, about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Every year for Christmas, my mom usually makes peanut butter blossoms.  This year, with her busy at work, I made them for her.  I wanted to adapt the recipe so it would be without shortening, but I didn’t want to sacrifice flavor for anyone else, so I kept it as is, although I didn’t end up eating any.

 

Peanut Butter Blossoms
(yields about 3 dozen cookies)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 egg
2 T milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 t vanilla
Hershey’s kisses

Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugars. Stir in egg, milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt which have been sifted together. Mix well. Shape into ½ inch balls, roll in sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Top each cookie with a Hershey kiss and return to oven for 2 more minutes.