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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Pumpkin Mookies

I love autumn. The moment that first swell of cold hits me in the street in September, I get a thrill of anticipation that sends me to the store in search of pumpkins and squash. I lived in New York for a while and I remember how excited I got as I drove to school and saw the first leaves turning from green to red. Now, in California, I don't get to watch the leaves turn, but I can still get my pumpkin fix!

Here's a tasty little treat I came up with today which is simply and awesomely autumn-y. :) They were supposed to be cookies, but they came out with more of a muffin consistency than I had anticipated. So, for your munching pleasure: mookies!

Pumpkin Mookies
(makes 18-24)

2/3 cup IC's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter (recipe at the bottom)
2 tbsp almond milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp flax seed meal
~1 cup all purpose flour
~1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Set oven to 325 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together your liquid ingredients until they are smoothly combined. Sift in the powder ingredients, then stir until the batter is consistent and lumpless. 

Spoon out 1-2 spoonfuls batter onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!

IreniCineri's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter
(makes 2 claussen pickle jars full)

1 can canned pumpkin
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1.5 cups brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Simmer there for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Let stand on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, then scoop into your prepared jars.

This pumpkin butter makes an excellent autumnal addition to baked goods and pastries, but can also be enjoyed simply spread on a piece of toast or (if you're feeling decadent) sucked off a spoon. 

Note: You can buy mason jars at Costco or Michaels. Personally, I just save all my jars from everything, clean them, and store them until I find a use for them. (You will see one of the many uses I have found for them when I get around to talking about my fun halloween decor...)

Go on! Have a peace!

7 comments:

  1. These were SO damn good. Thank you again girl!!!

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  2. Hey there I voted for you on the blog project but my vote doesn't look like it shows up. Anyway, good luck.

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  3. Mookies! I love that name.
    What happens if you skip the flax seed?

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  4. Well, there's only a tablespoon of flaxseed, so I don't think it would make too much of a difference in consistency. You would be missing out on that nutty flavor that the flaxseed brings to a recipe, and the awesome omega-3 fatty acids that it carries with it.

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  5. Sounds so good but I can't quite figure out what these would look like. Do you have a photo? Also, what is Grade B syrup? Is that normal syrup you get at the store or something special?

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  6. I do not have a photo because all the pictures I took of these came out blurry. :( I will take pictures with the next batch and post them then. However, I can answer the syrup question.

    Maple syrup is divided into two main "grades" in the US: Grades A and B. Grade A is broken down into three color classes (Light Amber, Medium Amber, and Dark Amber); Grade B is darker than Dark Amber. But the color differences are not the reason I like B more than A. Grade B syrup has a sharper maple flavor, while A - when used in cooking - tends to blend and become a mere sweetener without that rich maple flavor. That's fine for a lot of cooking and baking, but for the fall flavors I was trying to bring out with this recipe, I really wanted to bring in that maple tang.

    You can get both grades at any store; they're usually right next to each other. :)

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  7. Thank you Ireni. The "syrup" I have been buying turned out not to be true maple syrup but a pancake syrup that just had flavoring! I never noticed that before. I will go get the real thing and try it.

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