Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Okay, pumpkin is healthy for you and the latest is that chocolate has good properties in it, too.  I could live with these cookies on my diet . . . for health reasons, of course!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. 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, and then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. 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 tbsp. onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 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.

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A lighter side to the day . . .

"No one gossips about other people's secret virtues."
       -- Bertrand Russell

"My Karma ran over your dogma."
       -- Unknown

Another urgent prayer request!

I just received this prayer request from another homeschooling group. After you read it, you will see why I passed it along. The following is a note from the mother of the little girl.

Hello all,

I want to say thank you for your prayers. We have surgery scheduled for Tuesday the 26th. Please pray for my little one as she has half the skin on her upper arm removed and a byopsy of the lymph nodes. She will need a skin graph and will have a wound vac on her arm and will be in the hospital for at least a night.

We had annointing of the sick after mass. We are praying for a miracle at this point. The cyst was both deep and well formed. It was a stage four in the stage of the cell. We need a miracle right now. They are 90% sure they will find it in the lymph nodes and we will do a year of chemotherapy and a lymphectomy. Please pray for our family, especially Aine. She will be in a lot of pain. Thank you for your prayers so far. I will keep you updated.

Teri

Bishop Sheen - always the best!

“There are only two philosophies of life: one is first the feast, then the headache; the other is first the fast and then the feast.  Deferred joys purchased by sacrifice are always sweetest and most enduring.”  ~Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Pecan Tarts

I like making lists on projects that face me in the course of the day, week, month, or even months from now! I already have several things sewn/crocheted/knitted and ready for gift giving. Holiday baking requires a list because I like to make sure my cupboards are in order for the baked goods I want to make for Christmas and Thanksgiving. That is why you are finding a festive recipe on the Blog today so you can plan ahead for later.

Here is a new recipe I found that will end up on my Christmas cookie plates this season. Looks like a fun way to enjoy the taste of pecan pie in manageable servings. This is a plan-ahead recipe as the crust has to be cold.

Crust:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated

Mix all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Filling:
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated
Pecan halves for garnish

Mix filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Divide the crust dough into 24 small balls and press into miniature muffin tin. Fill each pastry 3/4 full with filling, top with pecan half and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Cool and remove from muffin tin.

I found mine non-stick, miniature muffin tin at Walmart for not too bad a price. It has come in handy so I figure it was a good investment!

Ideas . . .
When they come out of the oven, you could drop a chocolate chip or two on top of each tart and smooth it out when they soften - instant chocolate icing!

Leave it to Ben Frankllin . . .

Some are weather-wise, some are otherwise.

Benjamin Franklin