Yesterday I got a baking bug and made another Caramel Apple Cheesecake and another Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie.   Our family is in nummy-love with those two desserts, I think.  And the kids just discovered how easy it is to make the homemade caramel.  I have a feeling I am going to have to stock up on sweetened condensed milk, butter, and brown sugar now!! 

The recipe for the gingersnap pumpkin pie calls for just one-half cup of canned pumpkin.  In my last stock-up of pumpkin, I had only bought the large 15-oz cans.  So, that left me with LOTS of pumpkin left-over.  I needed something to use up the rest of that.   Enter my daughter, who saw me baking and immediately wanted to bake, too.  I told her that we had all of this pumpkin left-over, so maybe we could find a pumpkin cookie recipe.  She eagerly agreed, so I hunted and found this one.

Well, my daughter wound up finding some unused clay while I was looking, so her baking bug left her for clay works.  I wound up making them myself.  But she thoroughly enjoyed them nonetheless- enough for me to go ahead and offer them up here!  They came out very cake-like, with a smooth pumpkin-pieish flavor to them. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin (mine was missing 1/2 a cup, but it didn't affect it any)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups chocolate chips (I used about half that, since I don't like a lot of chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Lightly spray cookie sheet(s) with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips.  Beat on medium speed until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Cool for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. 

 This morning I got a baking hair up my butt, so decided to make these.   The recipe has been taped up to my kitchen cabinet for a few months now.  I was looking at it while refilling my coffee cup, and realized I had all of the ingredients, especially that sour cream, which needed to be used before it went bad.  I grabbed all my little containers and began to make a mess.

 
  The recipe says it yields 6 muffins.  I used my standard 12-cup pan and had just enough batter to do so.  So, use whichever pan bakes the size muffins you like! 

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1&1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut (I used sweetened coconut)
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (I used regular sized)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
additional sugar (I forgot that)



Directions:


1.  In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, butter and almond extract.

3.  Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until moistened.

4.  Fold in coconut and chocolate chips.  I also folded in about half of my almond slices, too.

5.  Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.  Sprinkle with almonds and additional sugar.  Bake at 375* F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. 

  *Notes:
   The muffin is a bit pasty.  While I do like the almond and coconut together, I don't think I care for the chocolate chips.   Both my boyfriend and I agree that it would be a great lemon-blueberry batter.  Or even just add blueberries instead of the chocolate.