October Pumpkin Series - No Bake Pumpkin Cookies

Oh hey there, fall!  Welcome back!  It's still a wonderful 90+ degrees here in the Valley of the Sun, but we are all itching for the temperature to fall below 80 so we can whip out our boots and sweaters.  (No, seriously.  That's considered "cool" around here.)

Here's my little pumpkin with her very first pumpkin.

Even though we don't have beautiful multi-colored trees and roads lined with fallen leaves, we can still get into the autumn spirit with some healthy pumpkin recipes.  Intern Kelsey has a treat for our readers - a month full of pumpkin!  Each week we will spotlight a new, healthy pumpkin recipe from some amazing food bloggers that will help you fall-ify your palette.  Let's get cookin'...or in the case of these no-bake cookies, let's just eat!  Wouldn't these be awesome with our healthy pumpkin spice latte?

*M*

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From Kelsey:

I am a huge fan of pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, you name it and I bet I have tried it and LOVED it! I was so excited when Megan came up the idea for me to do a different pumpkin recipe for each week in October. I immediately began the search for the ultimate pumpkin recipes. Enter the No Bake Pumpkin Cookies from My Whole Life. These are absolutely delicious. Without a doubt, they are one of the best pumpkin items I have ever had. Also, they require no flour, no dairy and no baking. I did not even have to buy any of the ingredients because I had them all in the pantry. As if these cookies could not get any better, they also have tremendous amounts of nutrients in them.

Pumpkin has long been over-looked as a good source of fiber. It contains approximately three grams per one cup. Fiber can help keep you feeling fuller longer, which makes these cookies the perfect go to snack. Pumpkin can also help refuel you after a workout, since it contains more potassium than a banana! Lastly, since we are getting into cold and flu season, I thought I would mention that pumpkin has a substantial amount of Vitamin C to help prevent colds and even the flu! I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

No Bake Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients: 

1 cup raw pecans

1 cup raw almonds

10 medjool dates
 (pitted)
3 TBSP pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.

Grind up almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and spices using a food processor.

Add in dates and continue to grind.  Finally, add pumpkin and mix until dough forms.

Let sit in the refrigerator for approximately one hour.  

Roll into balls and use your palm to flatten into cookies.  

Then eat!  Enjoy!

*Kelsey*

Happy Holidays 2011

Happy holidays! We often show love to each other and celebrate with food, and this year was all about the goodies! None of these are particularly "healthy" options - though the cookies are technically gluten-free - but this is where balance comes in. "Play" foods are important for us too!

I wanted to make a platter for my office and one for my husband's coworkers, since he just started at his new job (and let's face it: chocolate helps make friends). I also put a few of each treat in little grey felt "buckets" purchased from Target, each adorned with star-shaped cookie cutters. Check out the photos - and recipes - below!

For Greg's office:


For my office:


For my neighbors - aren't these little ($1) buckets cute?


To check out the gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie recipe, go here. Instead of stuffing them with regular or small Reese's peanut butter cups, I used the teeny Trader Joe's chocolate PB cups mixed into the batter, plus chunks of dark chocolate cut straight from the bar.


No-bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups oatmeal

Melted dark chocolate, optional

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil the sugar, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Spread the mixture on a greased baking dish and let cool. Once cool, drizzle with melted dark chocolate. (Adapted from Food Network.)

I forgot a picture, so use your imagination!

Magic Bars

My husband is obsessed with Magic Bars. Of course, he calls them 7-layer bars; however, everywhere I go they're called Magic Bars, and technically they do not have 7 layers, so obviously I'm in the right.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
3 1/2 ounces coconut flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. (325 F. for glass dish.) In 13x9-inch baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Makes 24 bars. (Adapted from Cooks.com.)

Happy holidays from our (crazy) little home to yours!


Photo - Jessica Flecky, Flecky Fotography
Card - Rachel Harding, Just Us Three

*M*

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Peanut Butter Cups

Oh my. You are going to love these cookies. Full disclosure: these are less "healthful" than they are "play," but we need both in our lives! These cookies are really, really good - and very rich. And fortunately, they're something your gluten intolerant friend can enjoy as well. Those of you with kids (or grandkids) will also enjoy this minimal-ingredient recipe. Making it for your significant other? You'll look like a goddess - or god - in the kitchen!

These cookies are pretty big, so they're perfect for splitting with a friend. Plus, cutting them down the center lets you see the surprise peanut butter cup inside!

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Start by making the extremely simple gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I featured last fall on my blog. Note: instead of making this recipe with M&Ms, use only chocolate chips (and used the whole bag of chips because I love my cookies chocolate-y). I also used chunky peanut butter because that's what I had on hand.

Next, flatten a round of dough on a prep surface or cookie sheet.

Place a Reese's peanut butter cup on top of the "bottom" layer and press down gently.

Add an additional round of dough on top of the peanut butter.

Press the sides of the top and bottom layers together to conceal the peanut butter cup.

Arrange evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, making sure to not burn the bottom.

Remove the cookies when they're still slightly soft on the top, since the bottom tends to darken more quickly.

Cool on a cookie sheet and serve with a glass of cold, organic milk or almond milk.

Enjoy!

*M*

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies - Gluten Free!

I love these very simple holiday cookies that also happen to be gluten-free (because they're flourless)! They do have brown sugar, but if you know someone who can't tolerate gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley, this might be a fun cookie that they - and everyone - will love. Trust me, you won't miss the flour. I also call them "2" cookies because most of the ingredients come in quantities of 2!

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter (look for natural peanut butter with 2 ingredients: peanuts, salt)

2 cups brown sugar

2 organic eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 bag M&Ms (peanut or peanut butter are the best)

1/2 bag chocolate or dark chocolate chunks

(NOTE: In these photos, I doubled the ingredients.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream peanut butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.

Add eggs and baking soda.

Mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chunks.

Scoop out 1-inch pieces and roll into balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Make sure to not bake too long, as the bottoms burn easily.

Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Serve on a platter and enjoy!

*M*

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Christmas spirit is in the air! Even though Thanksgiving is still ahead of us, my husband and I decided that we were going to get this holiday party started by putting up the tree and decking our halls a bit earlier than usual. If you're in the holiday spirit, or if you're one of the many who is trapped inside today due to inclement weather this weekend, consider making some yummy, healthier ginger crinkle cookies! They are easy, made with real ingredients (including disease-fighting spices like cinnamon and ginger), and most importantly really yummy.

I adapted this recipe from EatingWell.com last year, and they're still popular this year. I substituted grapeseed oil for canola oil. Grapeseed oil can be found in most grocery stores and at Trader Joe's. Raw turbinado sugar is more coarse in texture than regular raw sugar, and it gives these cookies their crunch.

Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Makes 34 cookies

2/3 cup grapeseed or cold pressed safflower oil
1 1/2 cups raw turbinado sugar, divided
1 large organic egg
4 tablespoons molasses or real maple syrup
2 cups sifted whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble your ingredients.

Mix oil and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until combined.





Beat in egg until combined.


Stir in molasses or maple syrup until evenly incorporated.


Add flour:



Baking soda:


Cinnamon:

Ginger (and salt):

Put the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the sugar before placing them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. DO NOT FLATTEN.


Bake the cookies until set, but still soft when gently touched, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.






The best part? After rolling them in sugar, you can place them in a glass or plastic container and freeze them for later! I made them for two Karve seminars that I was giving one week apart. I made the dough, baked half, and froze the other half in the form of prepped, sugar-rolled dough balls. I simply popped them on a cookie sheet straight out of the freezer (they don't even stick together) and baked them for just a minute or two longer than I do when they're raw. Easy and convenient!


Enjoy!

*M*