Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

When the weather starts to get cooler, and the leaves begin to turn colors, the first thing I want to do is bake something with pumpkin! I know - it's a weird thing, but I can't help myself! Try to get me to use pumpkin in the spring and summer, and you'll find that it just won't happen.

Since it's a very busy weekend, and the fact that I've been experimenting with recipes that start with chocolate chip cookie mixes, I varied from my normal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. To simplify my life, I started with a Sisters' Gourmet chocolate chip cookie mix to make these yummy cookies. Any cookie mix may work, but I've only tried this one, so far.

Here's the recipe:
1 jar of Sisters' Gourmet chocolate chip cookie mix
2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) softened butter
1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 15 oz can of pumpkin

Just put everything in a large bowl and mix! How easy is that! I used my KitchenAid mixer.

Scoop about 1 1/2 inch balls onto baking sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until you can gently press on the cookie, and it doesn't make a dent (bounces back).

Cool on pan, then frost if desired. My good friend and master cookie baker, Julie Chambers, taught me that Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies should always have a little bit of frosting on top. I'm not sure why this is so, but you can't go wrong with frosting! And, you can't go wrong with any cookie that Julie makes! :)

It's just a simple frosting of:
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Enjoy!!

Triple Layer Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Yes, this is another chocolate chip cookie dough project. I have a few more ideas that may show up on this blog, as well, so keep watching for them!

This is a variation of the peanut butter filling bars from a few days ago. Basically, these have a cheesecake filling instead of peanut butter. I know what you're thinking - rocket science! I never said my recipes were complicated - just that they are rich and tasty!

You will need:

about 3 cups of chocolate chip cookie dough

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Preheat oven to 350. Spread about 1/2 of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the cookie dough. Finally, crumble the other 1/2 of cookie dough over the cheesecake mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Cool completely before cutting.

We ate them both warm and cold, and definitely preferred the chilled version.

As for the peanut butter vs. cheesecake filling preference, it was a mixed review. The peanut butter was a lot richer, but the cheesecake was quite good, too. I guess in the end, I would say that the PB won - mainly because none of us preferred the cheesecake, but just said it was "as good" as the pb, whereas the pb got a couple of favorite votes. So, there you have it! Enjoy!!

Triple Layer Chocolate Chip Bars with Peanut Butter Filling

Sisters' Gourmet is in full swing this time of the year, getting our cookie mixes produced and shipped out for fall baking. With production comes the "reject table"! You may think of this as a bad thing, but it's really not. Pam, our Quality Control Manager, is very good at what she does! Among many other things she is watching for, she makes sure our layered cookie mixes always LOOK good in the jar. If the layers are in disarray, or it otherwise just doesn't look nice, she rejects the jar. Hence the reject table.

Each of us takes home cookies from the reject table to bake for friends, neighbors, family (of course), and we give some away to anyone else who deserves cookies that day (i.e. truck drivers, vendors, etc.). Now, don't take this wrong, but sometimes I get tired of baking the same cookies. It's not that I won't EAT the same cookie day after day, but I like to be creative when I'm baking them.

Long story short.....I'm going to be exploring other recipes that use basic chocolate chip cookie dough, since that's what is on the reject table this week. Today's recipe uses about 3 cups of prepared chocolate cookie dough, but it can easily be adjusted to use more or less. I will just list the cookie dough as an ingredient. Of course, you can substitute your favorite recipe, some refrigerated dough, or mix up a Sisters' Gourmet cookie mix!

Super easy.......You will need:
about 3 cups of chocolate chip cookie dough
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Preheat oven to 350. Spread about 1/2 of the cookie dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Mix the remaining ingredients (will be thick) and spread over the cookie dough. Now, crumble (or spread, depending on the consistency of your dough) the other 1/2 of dough over the peanut butter mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Cool completely before cutting unless you enjoy a peanut butter and chocolately mess!

I've got a crowd over tonight, and everyone is loving these bars! The best way to describe them is that they are something like a peanut butter bon bon surrounded by chocolate chip cookie. Enjoy!!