Coming from Colorado, I should be accustomed to freezing temperatures and piles of snow. But I've found that the human mind quickly acclimates to its new environment, and for the past few months...weather in Texas has been almost balmy. Sure, we've had a few cold days, but nothing to make me shudder in fear of stepping out doors. I don't know where my mittens are hiding, and I left my J. Crew wool coat in Colorado. I'm completely content to forgo all snowmen and ice scrapers for the next few years of my life.
But then Austin played a trick on me. I walked outside this morning to run to the gym, and before I took three steps, I was right back in my living room...my lips already turning blue.
No! I inwardly shouted. We have to deal with cockroaches, traffic, and hot humid summers....at least give me a January without freezing temperatures!
But despite my pleas, Austin is still cold. In fact, I think we're going to get into the twenties tonight, and Ryan has already blanketed his vegetables in our garden with a thick layer of protective plastic. Bless their little leaves and roots tonight! And bless all these Texans who aren't accustomed to this cold!
I find such pleasure in pulling out pans of brownies, sheets of cookies, loaves of bread. I know that many of you feel the same. Even though the month of December was saturated with sweets and casseroles and big, beautiful birds, I know that many of us are still itching to get into our kitchens and create.
For those of you with a tendency to over-buy, this cookie recipe is for you. I know that during the holiday months, my mom always buys twice as much food as we need. Thus our pantry is amply stocked with bags of flour, sugar, and canned pumpkin for that November and December darling, pumpkin pie.
This recipe may seem like it would be more fitting for the fall months (and perhaps it is). But I'm going to argue that many of us have one or two extra cans of pumpkin that need to be used. If so, this recipe will give you a batch of delicious cookies that will make you long for a cold winter day and a big cup of tea.
Moist, cake-like and spicy, these pumpkin nuggets are another one of my Grammi's favorite cookie recipes. I loved holding her typed recipe in my hand, knowing that she had labored over the same cookies many times herself.
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
1. Cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add your eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
2. Stir in the vanilla and the pumpkin.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the wet ingredients. Add in raisins and nuts.
4. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack and allow to cool.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores