Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

Autumn is almost here and the pumpkins are ready for picking!
Pumpkin and molasses are a wonderful combo in these soft cookies. When my daughter brought me a taste of these cookies I knew I would be adding them to my list of favorite cookies.
Do you use canned pumpkin from the store or do you prefer to cook up your own?

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, cooked
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• sugar for rolling cookies

1. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
2. Add egg, molasses, pumpkin, and vanilla, mix till well blended.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture just until combined.
4. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
5. Scoop tablespoons of dough, roll in balls, and roll in sugar. The dough is sticky so this is a bit messy.
6. Place 2" apart on parchment lined baking pans.
7. Bake in 350º oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Let cookies cool on the baking pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Breakfast Raisin Cookies

Why not have a cookie or two for breakfast every so often? Many of us eat toast with jam, cinnamon buns, waffles and pancakes for breakfast. These are not too sweet and have just a touch of cinnamon in them. These are a good lunch box snack too, and they freeze well. 

Ingredients: (makes approximately 16 cookies)

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• dash cinnamon
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup raisins (make sure they are fresh)

Method:

1. Beat together oil, butter, egg and sugars until creamy.
2. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well.
3. Add remaining ingredients and beat until everything is well incorporated. 
4. Drop mounds of cookie dough onto baking sheets.
5. Bake in oven pre heated to 350º for 9-10 minutes. Remove immediately to cooling rack.

Smartie Cookie Pizza

It is simply a giant cookie...also called a cookie pizza or a cookie-cake.  It's a fun dessert for all ages...is easy to transport to a party or picnic or to give as a gift.  Write a message on it with icing and serve it for any occasion.  We took one to a picnic at the lake awhile back...and it doubled as a birthday cake for our granddaughter. Have fun with it!  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• Smarties or M and M's to decorate

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
2. Line an extra large (14" or 16") round pizza pan with a circle of parchment.*
3. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until smooth. 
4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 
5. Add flour, baking soda and salt together. Mix until smooth.
6. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Put the dough into the pizza pan and press it into a circle...leaving a generous 1 inch gap around the rim.
8. Press smarties into the top...as desired.
9. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until cookie is golden and set.

* Makes two medium size pizza cookies (10" or 12" or one large).