Friday, September 30, 2011

October is for Pumpkin Cookies

Time for Pumpkin Cookies!
October may well be my favorite month. When I was a kid in Ohio, the walk home from the school bus stop at the end of my street was filled with colored leaves, the lovely, earthy smell of fall in the air, and on the best kind of day, the divine aroma of pumpkin cookies baking when I stepped into the house.

October was a favorite time in our house for the usual costume-y, candy-filled reasons, but we had an added bonus.

My mother (the saint) was born on Halloween.

Which meant October held not only bonfires and hay rides, but also a traditional pumpkin shaped cake, made in a bunt pan, with a half-banana "stem" stuck in the middle, and covered in bright orange seven-minute frosting.  I have never, ever liked seven-minute frosting, but tradition is tradition is tradition.

I imagine this was my Mom's Birthday Party - circa 1978.
Mom is lovely as usual.  And, get a load of that mustache on my dad! 


My brother & I scooping out Pumpkins for our Jack O' Lanterns,
October, 1978. I'm not going to do the math for you, but I was
5 in this picture.  I COULD have photoshopped the red out of these
pics... and, in fact, I DID give it a shot.... but I like them better this way.

On Halloween night, after we got home from Trick or Treating, Mom ALWAYS told us that we couldn't eat much candy, because we HAD to go to bed, as she had to grab her black hat, climb on her broomstick and fly to the big meeting at midnight.

We thought she was a real, honest to goodness Witch.

A GOOD Witch. But, a Witch.

Well it makes sense, doesn't it? Halloween Birthday? A love of all things Halloween-y? You see?

We were convinced.

She even has a bit of a nose.

A bit. Not a huge, pointy nose, but a bit of a nose.

She knows it. She won't mind me telling you.

Minus the witchy wart.

My mother LOVES Halloween, as one who is born on such a fun day would.

This morning, little girl and I "face-timed" with her, and Mom aimed her iPad at her vast collection of decorative witches and pumpkins for Miss M to see. She showed us a witch made from a gourd, a witch made of a shell, a beautiful hand-made crafty witch, and the witch marionette that I made her eons ago with a BRIGHT green polymer clay face and giant pink lips. It was pretty funny to see that thing again.
After we disconnected from "The Facetime", all I could think of was making Pumpkin Cookies.

So I did.

And now, you can too.




These Pumpkin Cookies are a cake-like cookie, with Oatmeal, Cinnamon and Chocolate Chips. And if you think that doesn't sound like a good idea, watch the video (below) of my Jack-the-Dog barking at the oven for his share. He didn't get one (chocolate chips). But! He DID get a dog biscuit. I'm not a bad dog-mother.

I imagine that this recipe came from the back of a Libby's Pumpkin can, but I don't know that for a fact. What I DO know for a fact, is that they are delicious.

Also: Be forewarned that this recipe makes TEN DOZEN. I freeze half of it. You can do that. Scoop them onto a cookie sheet, as if to bake, then slide them into your freezer until frozen. Once they are frozen enough to handle, put them in a freezer bag until you need to pop a few in the oven for fresh-baked cookies without all the fuss. Mmmmmmmmm.




PUMPKIN COOKIES
4 c. Flour
2 c. Oats
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 c. Butter or Margarine
2 c. Brown Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Can Pumpkin (16oz)
2 (or more!) c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Mix Flour, Oats, Baking Soda, Cinnamon and Salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Cream Butter, Brown Sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the Egg and Vanilla to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Alternate adding the canned Pumpkin and Dry Ingredients to the Creamed mixture.

Stir in the Chocolate Chips.

Drop by Tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) onto lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 20-25 minutes.


Immediately ride the school bus home and grab a few with a glass of milk.

Or just lay down in front of the oven and BARK until Momma gives you one.









Freeze the extras!


(You need Flash to see the video of Jack Barking for his cookies)


BARK until you get one!



OH!  I'm also doing something I saw on Pinterest with Plastic Snakes, a Grapevine Wreath and some Black Spray Paint.  Stay Tuned....


I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

6 comments:

  1. Hooray for October birthdays! Mine is on the 11th, but I've always wished I could have been born on Halloween. So fun! Your cookies look fantastic...sooooo, great. Now I have to bake today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. this will be a long comment, be warned;)

    - love those 1970ies pics, so authentic and i can so relate to the fashion-style (or non style;)!

    - i was going to bake something to this sunday's twitterjunta but i wasn't sure just what, i think these pumpkin cookies sounds FAB and definitely not something those swedish gals have tried before. how grand you posted this now!

    - oh my, just look at that crazy expression on your pup, apparently pumpkin cookies can do that (will have to try on little loaf:)

    - halloween has never been a big thing in sweden, but these past years it has grown and i might not (like with valentine's day) be very impressed by the more commercialized parts of it but i love the pumpkin and lanterns bit, the horror mixed with fun and i wouldn't mind more costume-parties to attend myself...:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. ps and yes october is of course a fabulous month since it's my birthday month;) but actually it has been only these past few years that i've come to appreciate autumn and its unprentetiousness and yet it's the most colourful and lurid season we have. so so pretty!! ds

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pia, Let me know how the girls at twitterjunta liked them! I still think the SOUND strange... but taste great!

    A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BOTH of you!

    Laaaa!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It looked like Jack went mad for one haha!! They do look delicious though, thank for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
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