Erika’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Erika is one of my best friends from college who made this cookie every fall and I can’t get enough of them! This is the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving feast. Move over Pumpkin Pie, here comes the Pumpkin cookie!

---

 

3/4 Cup of Shortening

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 Small Can of Pumpkin Puree

2 1/4 Cups of Sugar

3 3/4 Cups of Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 – 16oz Bag of  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

---

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a standing mixer add shortening, vanilla and eggs. Mix together until becomes “fluffy” about 3-4 min.

Add pumpkin puree and mix again for 2 min.

In a separate bowl add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix the dry ingredients together.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixture is mixing. Once it has all combined add the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 1/2 inch balls and place onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 14-17 min. You know that the cookies are done when they are firm to the touch.

Enjoy!

---

TIPS:

At the beginning when it says mix until “fluffy” you are looking for a mixture with bubbles forming on the sides of the bowl. Sort of the same concept when you fluff eggs for scrambled eggs.

The original recipe called for the entire bag of chocolate chips. I did this the first time and found that the cookie was too chocolate heavy and couldn’t taste the pumpkin. So the second time I used only half the bag and it was the perfect contrast of chocolate to pumpkin flavor.

When it comes to size, you can make it small or large it doesn’t matter. However cooking times will be different. You really need to make sure your cookie is firm to the touch before pulling them out. This makes sure that the cookie is done and not raw on the top. I used my medium ice cream scoop for my cookies and cooked them for 17 min.

Thank You Erika and Ellis Family!

Pumpkin Waffles

Thanksgiving is 1 week away!! What better way to start out your holiday fest by serving a classic waffle with the season’s favorite flavor, Pumpkin!

---

1 3/4 Cup Flour

2 TBSP Sugar

1 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Milk

1/4 Cup Vegetable oil

1 tsp. Vanilla

---

Plug in Waffle Iron and set to 4 on the heat index.

Take a large bowl and add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Sir together and create a well in the middle of the bowl.

Now take another bowl and add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix together until all is combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the center well in the dry ingredients bowl and mix everything together. This will take about 2 min.

Set mixture aside for 5 min.

Use a 1/2 measuring cup and scoop out your waffle batter into the middle of your waffle iron and close the top. Usually your waffle iron will give a “green” light or “beep” when it is done.

Serve one at a time or set your oven on 300 degrees and take a cookie sheet with a cooling rack on top and place the completed waffles on top of the rack. This will keep waffles hot when you want to serve family style at the table.

---

TIPS:

I like to use vegetable oil since it is the cheapest option at the store, but you can also use canola if you have that on hand.

With this recipe I used whole milk, but again just use what you have in your fridge.

I said to mix the wet and dry ingredients together for about 2 min. You are looking for all the dry to be incorporated and it is ok to have a few lumps.

I set the completed waffle batter aside to let the baking powder and baking soda activate to make fluffy waffles!

If you find you like your waffles more crisp, set your waffle iron to 5 or a higher setting. This is your preference.

If you find that 1/2 cup of batter isn’t enough.. just add a bit more to find the perfect measurement to make your ideal waffle.

 

Pancake Muffin with Breakfast Hash

As the Holiday season as approaching, many of us are playing host to our families and friends. Here is a great recipe to make an impression to those you serve. It will be requested for many years to come.

---

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Flour

1/2 Cup of Milk

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

2 TBSP of Butter (melted)

1/4 lb of Sausage (Jimmy Dean brand)

1 Large Yukon Gold Potato

1 Green Onion

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup

Salt & Pepper

---

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Take a muffin pan and lightly grease with oil spray.

Heat a skillet pan to medium heat.

Dice your potato into 1/2 inch cubes.

Add your sausage to the skillet and break into small pieces. Cook until sausage is evenly brown.

Remove sausage from the skillet and add diced potatoes and 1 TBSP of butter. Cook the potatoes for 10-12 min until they are golden brown and tender. The last 3 min of cooking add salt and pepper. Once it is finished cooking add chopped green onion on top.

In a large bowl add eggs, flour, milk, salt, and vanilla. Mix together using a whisk or an immersion blender. Once it is well mixed (no lumps) add half of the melted butter and mix again. Then add the other half of the butter and mix one last time.

Pour your egg mixture into the muffin pan using a 1/4 measuring cup for each muffin section.

Bake for 15-20 min.

Assemble by placing a pancake on a plate, add 2-3 spoonfuls of filling on top and finish with drizzled syrup.

---

TIPS

I used Yukon Gold Potato because it has less starch which help it to brown up easily and become tender and fluffy in the inside. You can use Russets (which is my usual go to potato) it may take longer to cook.

Make sure to cook the sausage first! This insures that your potatoes absorb the sausage flavor as they cook in the pan.

When making a hash it has no rules. You can add whatever you want! As I think about it if I had an onion and green or red bell peppers I would have added this as well. If you do decide to add more to your hash just cook it with the potatoes.

This pancake is similar to my previous recipe “Lemon Drop German Pancake” see link ( https://outoftheboxcooking.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/lemon-drop-german-pancake/ ) but this time it is the basic recipe and is individualized.

When cooking the pancake you want it to have a golden brown top, that is when you know it is ready.

When putting the filling on top of the pancakes don’t worry if you end up mashing it down. The goal is to get as much of the filling on top as you can.

Heat up my syrup before drizzling, it is better hot than cold.

 

Lemon Drop German Pancake

This past weekend I had this idea to take my original German Pancake recipe and add lemon to it. Perfection! Immediately after tasting it reminded me of eating  lemon drop. If you like lemon, give this a try!

---

6 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Flour

Zest of 2 Lemons

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

2 TBSP Sugar

2 TBSP Butter

Glaze:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

2-4 tsp. Lemon Juice

---

Preheat oven 400 F.

In a medium bowl mix together eggs and milk.

Slowly add the flour, mixing as you go.

Add lemon zest, juice, salt, vanilla and sugar.

Stir the mixture until there are no flour lumps in the batter.

Once oven is preheated take a 9×13 pan and add the butter to the pan and set it into the oven to melt.

Now that the butter is melted, turn the pan in different directions so that the butter is evenly coated the bottom of the pan.

Add the egg batter to the pan and place into the oven for 20-25 min. Edges should be brown and the whole pancake will rise.

Make the glaze by adding enough lemon juice to make the powdered sugar thin and glaze like.

Add the glaze to the pancake once it comes out of the oven and let sit for 5 min.

---

 

TIPS:

When using lemons, make sure to zest them before juicing. It is quite difficult to zest a lemon that is no longer round.

I used whole milk, but I have made this with 1% and it is fine. My opinion, if you have milk then use it.

DO NOT OPEN OVEN WHILE BAKING! This batter is very delicate and will deflate fast. If you need to see if it is done, use the oven light. Best indicator to look for is brown edges and a golden color in the middle.

You don’t like lemon? Instead of the lemon flavorings add:

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

If you do make the version without lemon, you can top the pancake with syrup or my favorite is powered sugar and syrup!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

---

1/2 Cup Butter (softened)

1/2 Cup Shortening

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Salt

2 1/2 Cups Flour

Green Food Coloring

Andes Mint Chips

---

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl cream butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar together.

Add eggs, one at a time until all are combined.

Stir in baking soda, vanilla and salt.

Add flour and mix together until it resembles a dough.

Add green food coloring, keep adding drops until dough reaches a dark green color.

Fold in mint chips.

Form even dough balls and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min.

---

Tips:

Usually your basic cookie recipe only uses butter, however, I found that if you use butter and shortening your cookie has a balance of soft and crisp that I enjoy finding in a cookie. If you don’t have both butter and shortening, then go ahead and use 1 cup of butter.

Don’t be afraid to add more flour. Sometimes I add a bit more flour to get the dough to a more stiff consistency, rather then having a dough that is more creamy. If you want more flour start slow when adding it in and use small measurements at a time.

You will need about the whole container of green food coloring to reach the dark green. I believe I used about 3/4 of the green bottle that come in a 4 pack of colors.

Make sure to let your cookies sit on the counter for 8-10 min before removing them from the baking sheet. This allows the cookies to continue to cook and they wont break apart when you take them off the baking sheet.

These cookies are on the smaller side, so if you want bigger cookies bake them for about 3-4 min longer.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!