Fall Sweetness

    

     I love fall and pumpkins. I love how they are both orange. Orange is such a warm color, such a crisp and crunchy leaf color but also a soft sweet potato color...or a soft woolen sweater color. I kind of want an orange sweater. A big comfy one. Anyhows....Orange is pumpkins and pumpkins are fall, so of course I had to make something pumpkin-y.

   
     But not just anything in general pumpkin-y. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies specifically. Because they were blogged about on Slow Like Honey. Because they looked so delicious and cake-like, and I do love soft cookies. In fact, I think almost all the cookies I make are the soft and chewy kind.....the kind that are almost falling apart when they come out of the oven and melt in your mouth when you gobble them up off the cookie sheet and burn your tongue. The kind that stay all springy and tender after they cool down so that you constantly crave one...Yes. That kind of cookie.

     And so, in the barely two days while she was visiting me, I planned to make these cookies with KK. But....then we ran out of time. It was a tragedy. I didn't think I would be able to find any time to make these cookies. I was sad. Still, you know this story ends well because there are cookies. Why are there cookies? Because, I was saved by a source who is as yet a mystery to you.

     That sentence was convoluted. But it sounded kind of like an old detective show. Or the parodies of old detective shows that they do on Whose Line....do you know what I'm talking about? If not, you should watch more Whose Line.

     Aaaanyhow, I was saved by my mentee! My little sister in a Big Brother Big Sister like program you know. Because fourth grade girls like to make cookies. And I like to make cookies too. So its a bonding thing. And we all got delicious cookies out of it. Delicious slightly spicy cinnamony pumpkiny full of chocolatey goodness cookies. The moral of the story is: even when you think you can't make cookies you should find time - or a friendly helper - who will make you make cookies. Because life before these cookies was missing out on pumpkiny goodness, and we all need that sometimes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Slow Like Honey
Yields 20 Cookies

1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 Egg 
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Milk
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract 
2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and layer parchment paper on two baking sheets (I had to use the two, then do another batch once one came out, so maybe take out a third cookie sheet if you feel so inclined?).

In a large bowl, stir together the canned pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk in a little bowl, and stir it into the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is combined (make sure you get all the flour that drops to the bottom of the bowl!). Stir in the vanilla and then the chocolate chips.

Use a tablespoon measure to spoon the batter out onto the baking sheets, it is a sticky, gooey batter so an extra spoon is also helpful. Make sure you leave about 1.5'' of space around the cookies because they will spread. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are firm to touch and lightly browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Try to stop yourself from eating them all at once! They will technically last 5 days in an airtight container. But good luck.

Nutella Cookies Take Two

Cooookie

     Today, I started cooking very late. This means, I cooked between 10:45 pm and now. But, look at me, I am posting! Do you know why? Because I made cookies, and cookies take no time at all. What kind of cookies? Well, I did title this post "Nutella Cookies" after all. But, they are not any Nutella cookies: they are flourless Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies.

No more peanut butter!

     There are these flourless peanut butter cookies that I make quite often. They require only four ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, and an egg. But, lo and behold, there was barely any peanut butter at home! So, using Nutella instead seemed the natural thing to do. We have two whole things of Nutella here, my family is obviously prepared for these late night cooking crises.

     The thing is that Nutella doesn't work exactly like peanut butter. It is less dense and - I think - not as buttery. So, my mom said to add flour to the cookies. But, I wanted to try something new. I wanted true flourless cookies! I went with my instincts. I did figure using the Nutella would make the cookies spread more, so I only put about seven on each cookie sheet. I also reduced the baking time (well, not in time to fix the first batch - CV, who I was skyping with, made me forget the importance of taking these cookies out early....but I got to talk to him, yay!).

Guess what it looks like????

     So, how did my cookies turn out? Well, I did overcook the first batch, sigh. They are light and crispy and still taste good, but even though I have eaten far too many -- to save other people from eating them of course --- I must say that they have gotten a little burnt around the edges. What do the second batch taste like? Peanut buttery chocolately hazelnut-y goodness. They are thin and chewy and like candy almost. Now, all I need is a glass of milk.

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies 
Adapted from Honey and Jam 

1/4 cup Peanut Butter 
3/4 cup Nutella 
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 
1 Egg 
1 tsp Baking Soda

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter (grease) two baking sheets. Using an electric beater, mix the peanut butter, Nutella, and sugar together. Then, beat in the egg and baking soda. Roll the batter into small (about half a tbsp) balls and place them on the baking sheet, about 7 per sheet. Bake for about 7-8 minutes, until they are light colored with darker streaks running through them. Cool on the sheet for 3 minutes and then cool them all the way on a wire rack. Enjoy with a glass of milk! 

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Jam. One of the greatest bounties of the Earth.

     So, last night, I told you all about making pho. And, the pho was delicious (I had it again for lunch today). But, as is my wont, by midnight I was getting a little peckish again. I needed my sweet after my meal, and what sweet did I crave? Peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter and strawberry jam may be one of the best combinations in the world (I'm sure someone disagrees and has some other jam of preference - but its still peanut butter and jam, and that is what is most important).

Making Peanut Butter even More Delicious.

     However, I didn't just want an ordinary PB and J. I wanted something special I had seen on Have Cake Will Travel. I love food blogs, don't you? They make such delightful things and give me so many great recipes. Well, this recipe sounded just perfect. It was for Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars: a layer of jam sandwiched between two layers of peanut butter cookie/cake-ness. It would only take half an hour in the oven and ingredients (with some substitutions) that I had on hand - and it sounded delicious.

     There was only one problem. I did not have that much jam left, and there needed to be enough for a substantial layer between the two peanut butter layers. Did that deter me? Of course not. What did I do? The only thing one could have done to this bar to make it more delicious. I made up my missing weight in jam with Nutella. Have you ever tried strawberry jam mixed with Nutella? With a spoon straight out of the mixture? I suggest you try it at least once in your lifetime. If you have a sweet tooth like mine, there is just nothing like a lick of that smooth sweet strawberry chocolate taste.

Ah, Deliciousness.

     So, how was my late night creation? Well, it was a layer of soft peanut buttery cookie, a sweet layer of chocolatey strawberry jam, and then more peanut butter cookie crumbled on top. Make your own conclusions people. Let me just tell you that I have eaten three - huge - pieces since it came out of the oven last night at 1 am. One of those pieces was my breakfast, and a most lovely breakfast it was. Try this with your favorite jam or other spread, obviously anything goes. But, please do try it because it is just full of comfort, happiness, and the absolutely perfect flavors of Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Peanut Butter and Jam Bars 
Adapted from Have Cake Will Travel 

1/2 cup Softened Butter or Margarine 
1/2 cup Sugar 
1 cup Peanut Butter (any kind) 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract 
1 Egg 
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour 
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt 
3/4 cup Jam or Jam + Nutella (I used 1/2 cup Jam, 1/4 cup Nutella, I believe) 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 in Square Pan (or your loaf pan and prepare to make two batches.)

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and egg using an electric mixer. Then, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is just combined. Then, using your hands, spread 2/3 of the the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it down (or 2/3 of half the dough if you are using a loaf pan). Next, spread the jam evenly on top. Crumble the remaining 1/3 of the dough on top of the jam. Put the pan in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Then, place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Finally, cut the square (or loaf) into bars, and carefully transfer them using a spatula onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Repeat for the other half of dough and jam if you are using a loaf pan.) Try to wait for them to cool before you eat! 

Part II: Packaging More Care

It was 1 am. I needed to do something exciting.

     I mailed my care package, wrapped within an inch of its life in packaging tape and bursting at its seams with tupperware boxes, to CV today. What was it filled with? Peanut Butter Banana Bread, of course, and cookies. You may ask, what cookies? Well, this was actually a very tough call. I couldn't send something too chocolatey, because those don't always travel well in the mail. I couldn't send something shortbread-y because that is what I had sent to CV last time. And, as usual, I was constrained by the ingredients I had on hand when I made these cookies at 1 am last night.  

     So, what did I do? I searched through my cupboards. And what did I find? Nutella. That food of the gods. Dreamy chocolate hazelnut spread that I'm sure you've tried on bread as part of your balanced breakfast. Very few things in the world sound better than Nutella Cookies. And that is how Nutella Cookies ended up in CV's package.

Food of the Gods.

     It's amazing how many Nutella recipes there actually exist online. There are Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies and Nutella Hazelnut Cookies and Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies...but there is a strange lack of plain - which is just the wrong word to describe it - Nutella cookies. After much googling and searching I found one. It was perfect: ridiculously easy to throw together, using scandalously few ingredients, and not trying to mar the taste of Nutella with any extra frippery. (Not, that frippery is always a bad thing - I'm planning on making Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies soon, but at 1 am frippery can be frustrating.)

     I highly suggest you bake these cookies. They take absolutely no time, require nothing fancy, and only use 3 1/2 tablespoons of Nutella, so you will have plenty left for your regular Nutella eating - this is always a top priority consideration when one is contemplating cooking with Nutella. I constrained myself and only ate one of these cookies, as I wanted at least fifteen to send off to Canada. Less than fifteen cookies is just no gift at all, don't you think? It just doesn't look imposing enough. Regardless, I had to put the cookies away pretty fast after I tried one. It was the flavor of Nutella with the texture of a soft cookie. Need I say more? For when it arrives or for when you make it yourself, I suggest eating it warmed up slightly in the microwave. My mouth waters just at the thought. Do yourself a favor, make these cookies.

Nutella Cookies 
Adapted from The Diary of a Frugal Family 

Makes 15-20 Cookies

3 1/2 tbsp Nutella 
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp Sugar (i.e. 3 oz)
3 1/2 tbsp Butter, Melted  
1 Egg 
1 cup Flour 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two baking sheets, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the Nutella, sugar, and butter. Then, add the egg and flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. Next, scoop slightly less than a tablespoon of dough in a tablespoon measure and roll into a ball. Place the balls so there are about eight on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cookies look firm. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet on top of a wire rack for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until dough is finished.

Note:

I just realized the original recipe called for Self-Rising flour, and I used regular All-Purpose Flour without adding anything to it. This is why I got soft cookies that did not spread very much but were thick. If you like thin, chewier cookies, you can use the same amount of flour plus 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder and 1/8 tsp Salt. I would only have 7 cookies on a baking sheet then because the cookies will spread out a lot more. So many possibilities!