Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies with Pecans and Chocolate Chips

     Happy Fall! The days are getting shorter and it's about time I dusted off my computer and got back into the kitchen. It was a lovely summer though, with visits from all of my children (and an especially long one with my grandson.) A lightning strike left me without internet for a month, and after about a week of withdrawal I actually enjoyed being unplugged! School has been taking up most of my time this past month, but we're settling into routines now and I'm feeling a little bit less frazzled at the end of each day. 

     I'm trying to stay away from sweets enjoy sweets in moderation, but when I saw these cookies from Sweet Treats and More, I had to put Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding on my grocery list. It's only available for a short time (I got it at WalMart) and gives these cookies a nice "pumpkiny" flavor without being too overpowering. In addition to the warm and spicy pumpkin flavor it adds, the pudding keeps the cookies soft and chewy- perfect for satisfying those after-school hunger pangs. :)

Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies with Pecans and Chocolate Chips
adapted from Sweet Treats and More

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 small box (3.4 oz) Pumpkin Spice Pudding (Jello)- I found this with the seasonal baking products at WalMart
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. 
In mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. 
Beat in dry pudding mix. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.
Gradually incorporate flour into mixture. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
Use a large cookie scoop to drop cookie dough onto parchment covered baking sheets. (My large scoop is about 3 Tablespoons.)
Bake 8-10 minutes and cool on cookie sheet until cookies are sturdy enough to remove to a cooling rack. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Yield: 2 dozen large cookies. (Using a smaller scoop will yield more, and will probably require a shorter baking time.)

French Fridays with Dorie- Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan

 Maybe it's because I was feeling a little bit silly.

Maybe it's because I'm a huge fan of Jon Scieszka's sense of humor.

Maybe it's because I spend most of my waking hours with 7 and 8 year olds.

Whatever the reason was, I just couldn't help myself. The entire time I was making these delightful little flans, one thing kept running through my head. 

Are you ready?

Run, run, run, as fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the Stinky Cheese Flan!

(I do hope you're familiar with the delightful book, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales- written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith- from which the preceding line was butchered.) If you're not, please take a moment to indulge your inner child here.

 Now that that's out of my system, I have to tell you that this was one of Dorie's recipes that I approached with trepidation. Pumpkin and gorgonzola? I wasn't really too sure I'd love the combination, but I'm glad I forged ahead and tried it. It was super simple to put together, and definitely a dish I wouldn't have tried without the commitment to cooking through Dorie's newest book, Around My French Table. 

 Dorie says to serve it with crème fraîche and a drizzle of honey, but I found that the drizzle of honey by itself was a perfect complement. The creamy  pumpkin, crunchy walnuts, savory gorgonzola and sweet honey made for a delightful combination of textures and flavors. Each spoonful begged for a repeat performance!

 To see what others have made from Dorie's cookbook this week, look here. You might find this Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan, a Potato Gratin, a Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake, or Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux! Aren't choices wonderful?

Update: As participants of the group, we were asked not to share the recipe. I have since found the recipe online and have included a link to it. Girl Cooks World has shared the recipe here!

Cushaw Squash Pie

Looks like pumpkin pie, smells like pumpkin pie, but it's NOT your average, run of the mill pumpkin pie. What is it?

It's a Cushaw Squash Pie! The Cushaw (or Kershaw) Squash, sometimes called a Tennessee Sweet Potato, is an heirloom winter squash grown mostly in the southern United States. It's hardy, heat tolerant and resistant to squash borers, which makes it easier to grow without pesticides. If you're careful about where you grow it, the seeds can be saved from one year to the next, ensuring a steady supply of this versatile squash that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes.

Many southern cooks prefer the sweet yellow flesh of the Cushaw for making pumpkin pies. After tasting this pie that I made from a recipe found  on Chickens in the Road  I'm not surprised. The squash pie had  the same warm spices as pumpkin pie, but had a milder taste and silky texture. Actually, you can use Cushaw squash in any recipe that calls for pumpkin. Next up for me? Probably Cushaw Butter, which I've heard is a family tradition in parts of Tennessee. 

I really hope you're able to find one of these heirloom treasures at your local farmer's market. I'm saving the seeds from mine so I'll be sure to have more next year!

Prepare the Squash:

Preparing the squash is easy. Wash it, cut it in half, remove the seeds and stringy part, and bake it cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. (350 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork) After scooping out the baked flesh, mash it well or put through a Foley food mill. Proceed as you would with any other pumpkin recipe.  (The seeds can be roasted like you would roast pumpkin seeds.)

Spiced Cushaw Pie

recipe adapted from Chickens in the Road

You'll need:

Your favorite pastry for a nine inch pie 

2 cups prepared squash (or pumpkin)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 Tablespoon melted butter

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together beaten eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine squash, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Add milk mixture to squash mixture and mix until well combined. Pour into pie pan (9 inch) lined with an uncooked pastry shell . (Use your favorite pie crust recipe.) Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (lower half of oven) for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took a bit longer.) Chill and serve. Keep refrigerated.

This post is linked to:

Cushaw Squash

Who Would Do Such a Thing?

See this disturbing Jack-o-Lantern?
Can you guess who carved this spooky scary face?
This horrible nightmare inducing face with the eerie lopsided eyes?
Try and guess.
Give up?
Scroll down.

Further...

A little more...

Here it is again in case you've forgotten what it looks like.

Did you guess?

The culprits: Looking innocent, as usual...

Aren't they talented? I think if they had had more time, they might have added the mouth.

I wonder what would happen if I gave them a typewriter?

Pumpkin Time!