Pumpkin Time!

I'm so excited that it's fall! I know some of you may already be experiencing fall-type conditions, but here in Austin, it's still in the 80s. I think tomorrow it's supposed to hit 90! So while it may not feel like fall with flip flops and A/C, I'm making room for it anyway. Here are two recipes that call for pumpkin; one is an old favorite that I just can't get enough of, and the second is something new we tried this weekend. Both were absolutely amazing.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe comes from a cookbook titled "Cookin' with the Crazy Lady" that my Auntie Carol gave me and Evan for a wedding gift. I halved it and still got 4 dozen cookies from it, but here I have included the recipe in it's entirety. These are hardly cookies. If you've had them before you know they're more like tiny, moist, tender cakes dotted with smooth and melty chocolate chips.

1 C butter or shortening
3 C sugar
3 eggs
3 C pumpkin
4 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
2 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter/shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and pumpkin. Stir in remaining ingredients and drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Pumpkin Waffles
This recipe comes courtesy of October's issue of the Food Network Magazine. They ask you to slice, scrape, roast and puree your own pumpkin, but we were starving and decided to spend that time doing something more.... worthwhile. Here is the modified recipe, including sweet whipped cream to dollop over the hot waffles.

Waffles:
1 1/2 C pumpkin
2 1/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
2 t pumpkin pie spice (if, like me, you don't have this, check below for a quick way to make your own)
1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 C plain Greek yogurt (put regular yogurt in a damp paper towel and let the liquid strain out)
1 C milk
4 T melted butter

Pumpkin Pie Spice(makes 1 t):
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t cloves

Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. You'll be adding the wet ingredients to it later, so make sure it's big enough to hold it all. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in a separate bowl, then add the pumpkin, yogurt and milk. Then mix in melted butter. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture in two batches, stirring until just combined. Beat the egg whites until stiff and GENTLY fold into batter. Pour into a pre-heated waffle iron (greased if it's not non-stick). Keep waffles warm on a cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven until you're ready to eat them. Waffles may take longer than you're used to, they'll be super soft if you try to pull them out early. They really aren't as crispy-on-the-outside-soft-in-the-middle as regular waffles are. But they are SO good. And how many times a year can you have pumpkin waffles??