Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - The Perfect Fall Treat

Who doesn’t love pumpkin in the fall?  I know my family absolutely LOVES it.  OK - so – the hubby and I can do without pumpkin pie (although our boys can’t get enough) – but I’m happy with pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, and what’s even better?  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

A friend of mine surprised me a couple of weeks ago by having her children deliver a batch of these cookies right to my door one afternoon.  They were so delicious, soft, and full of flavor - I insisted on getting the recipe. This is straight from Food Network and super easy.  Make a few batches this season and surprise your friends and neighbors with some of these yummy treats. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 60 cookies
Recipe courtesy of Food Network

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet (I swapped this out for dark chocolate chips)
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper (I used parchment paper)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookies 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, 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 tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15-20 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.

Brie, Raspberry, and Chocoloate Bruschetta

I love different variations of bruschetta – this one was something I had not tried before.  The original idea came out of an edition of Sunset magazine from this summer and I made just a couple of modifications to it. 

This dish combines creamy brie cheese, fresh raspberries, and grated bittersweet chocolate – perfect for serving as either an appetizer or a dessert! 

I chose to grate the chocolate over the finished product, if you also go this route, it will create a bruschetta that is a little less sweet – which is OK by me!  You could also use chocolate shavings or curls of chocolate to top each piece if you are looking for more of a chocolaty bite!  If you decide to go with the curls, use a thicker bar of chocolate to make it easier for you – at least it would have for me!  I struggled with a thin bar so went with the grated chocolate!  To make the curls, microwave the chocolate bar with the smooth side up in 5 second increments until slightly softened.  About 20 seconds total.  Pull a vegetable peeler across the bar. 

This one is worth a try – the presentation alone is awesome!  Let me know what you think!

 

Brie, Raspberry, and Chocolate Bruschetta

16 slices (serving 8 as an appetizer or dessert)
Adapted from Sunset Magazine, June 2012

¼ pound firm Brie cheese, at room temperature

16 baguette slices, brushed with olive oil and grilled
16 large raspberries, washed, dried, and halved
1 bar of bittersweet chocolate (to either grate, make chocolate shavings, or chocolate curls)

Slice the Brie cheese into pieces that will fit the baguette slices and place one slice on each toast. Add two raspberry halves to each toast and finish with your choice of chocolate topping.