We have our busiest cooking season rapidly approaching. I look forward to any favorite holiday recipes you have that you can share with us.
Pumpkins! This week we are sharing pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies sent in by Jenn from East Grand and Pumpkin Brownies sent in by Pat from right here in Houlton. Have a great week!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup canned pumpkin (can use 2 cups cooked and mashed fresh pumpkin)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions: Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10×15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting.
To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.
Pumpkin Brownies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; beat in the eggs one at a time with a spoon. Gradually add the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it’s evenly moistened. Divide the batter in half in two separate bowls.
Into one bowl of batter, blend the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and follow with ½ of the pumpkin batter. Repeat the layers, ending with a pumpkin layer, and drag a kitchen knife or small spatula gently through the layers in a swirling motion, to create a marbled appearance.
Bake in the preheated oven until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan, cut into squares, and serve.
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years ? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@outlook.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
