Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap! Pumpkin Suicide Cookies

I follow......a lot of blogs.  Thanks to Google reader, this is possible- thanks Google!  A month or so ago I came across a post on this little number: http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/ that invited food bloggers to participate in a Blogger Cookie Exchange.  Guess who has two thumbs and was excited to play?  This girl!

Then it hit me: I am not a food blogger.  I blog about food occasionally, but I'm not actually a food blogger.  So I sent off a request to be included in the fun, regardless of my blogging intentions and voila!  I was accepted!  I was one excited puppy, an excitement that was only mildly reciprocated by the people near me who had to field my joy.

"What-evs" I thought (cause that's how I talk to myself) I'm gonna rock this!  So I set out to find a cookie recipe to make my own.  My goal?  Find a recipe for non-cakey pumpkin cookies where I could incorporate my new find: cinnamon M&Ms.  So I found a few, combined the best parts, then raided my cupboards.  I'm gonna apologize ahead of time, I'm not sure this is entirely "make again" friendly.  I say that because I found a bunch of stuff that I wanted to use up (and fit well for my recipe) and so it's a bit of a mish mosh.  Oh, and I've never created my own recipe before...eek!
They are called "Pumpkin Suicide Cookies".  Named as such because during the baking process one of them took a dive off of my flat baking stone and burned up on the floor of my oven.  Suicidal cookie behavior had me questioning my recipe building skills.  But I think I did a-ok.

In the past two weeks we've received two batches of cookies from across the states- so cool!  The cookies' makers did a flipping amazing job with their presentation.  I began to feel a bit sorry for the people who received mine, since I sent them in ziplock baggies surrounded by wadded newspapers.  One was a cranberry coconut cookie that lasted approximately 12 hours.  Yum!  The other was a peanut butter cookie that was firm and a bit chewy.  Perfect!


Let the games begin!  Here's a breakdown of my cookie making experience, it was a bit of a comedy routine and maybe that's why I continue to bake it up in my wee little kitchen?  Probably.

Melt up the butter and let it cool.

Stir up your dry stuff: flour, sea salt, cornstarch, spices & baking soda- set aside.


In another bowl whisk the butter, sugar and syrup until combined.  Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and stir until combined.  Add in pumpkin puree and work it until it's smooth.

If you're known for your grace and elegance, like me, you'll surely not have the same problem I did while getting the rest of my unused pumpkin in a tupperware container.  I got it in the container, then tapped it down on the counter to make room for the lid....sending splatters of pumpkin EVERYWHERE.  Including on me, awesome:

Gradually add flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir it up until your dough forms,

Lastly, add in all the goodies!

Then, get excited because those are some delicious looking goodies!

Have I mentioned my favorite cookie tool?  It's my ice cream scoop.  It makes my cookies look so uniform, so professional.  Makes the people who eat them think, "Wow, this chick really knows what she's doing!", at least I imagine that's what they are thinking.  I love you, scoop.

The next step is.....refridegerate!  I know, it's boring and lame to have to wait even longer for cookies.  But alas, it's what we must do next.  So refrigerate that dough!

NOW you can use my scooper to make lovely little balls that you can cook in your oven for 15 whole minutes.  This part was not fun for me since I really wanted them ready after eight minutes.  I kept checking them...adding more minutes, repeating.  This made me a bit annoyed.

Then they came out and I ate one....resulting in a full recovery!

I hope you enjoy these if you make them.  I thoroughly enjoyed them and loved being a part of a cookie baking community.  Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!

If you are interested in playing with us next year, sign up to get kept in the loop here:  http://eepurl.com/hsS-Y

PUMPKIN SUICIDE COOKIES
(makes about 24 cookies)
1/2 cup of butter; melted & cooled
1 1/4  cups packed light brown sugar
1 tbs maple syrup
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract 
1 2/3 cups AP flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1 cup Cinnamon M&Ms
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the flour, salt, cornstarch, spices and baking soda in a bowl, set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, sugars and syrup until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stir in pumpkin puree until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until a dough comes together.  Fold in the rest of the goodies.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, then scoop into small egg sized balls. Bake for 15 minutes, then let cool completely. 


4 comments:

  1. OMG those look great! I will have to try them out! we are seriously going to need to a major baking day full of swapping recipes :o)

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  2. Thank you so much for posting the recipe, can't wait to make them! And hoard them. :)

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  3. What a fun post. As a pumpkin lover your pumpkin suicide cookies are right up my alley. My brother and I have a cookie recipe website (www.best-ever-cookie-collection.com) where we are hosting an cookie contest with great prizes. Would love to have you submit a recipe for a chance to win.

    Thanks!

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  4. Thank You Very Much :))))

    ReplyDelete