Lunch Ideas : Pumpkin Cookies

Some of the food styling I have done recently was for a film with much of the action set in the 1970's. For this project I had to crack open the cookbooks from my early childhood to get some visuals. What I learned is that lemons and parsley were virtually the only garnish, and that maraschino cherries adorned the top of many a dessert. Cookies are cookies though, and a good cookie recipe is eternal.

It's pumpkin time again, and I love any dessert containing them. I know that pumpkin is a love it or hate ingredient, and that about half the people at any holiday gathering will not touch that pumpkin pie, while the other more evolved half will devour the pie, making up for those bizarre pumpkin haters.

Here is a great pumpkin cookie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book, published in 1975. They are soft and cakey like molasses drops and full of spice and pumpkiny goodness.

Pumpkin Cookies

• 500 ml (2 cups) unsalted butter
• 500 ml (2 cups) granulated white sugar
• 500 ml (16 ounces) pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) vanilla
• 1 l (4 cups) all purpose flour
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
• 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) ground all spice
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 500 ml (2 cups) raisin
• 250 ml (1 cup) chopped nuts

• Pre-heat oven to 175C (350F).

• Cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. In a large bowl whisk together  flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, all spice and salt. Add to batter: mix well. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake cookies on middle rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on rack. If desired, frost with vanilla frosting. Makes 7 dozen.

• I made my cookies larger (2 teaspoons of cookie dough each), and I used a small scoop for easy portioning. I also forgo the nuts because I am sending them in my sons' lunch box and nuts are not allowed (as is usually the case). This recipe turns out a lot of cookies so care packages may be in order.

Photo from Cookies Cook Book

Good times and big hair for mom....should she be near an oven with all that hairpsray?

Squash on the net:

Please check out the photo for this recipe. What an easy photogenic creation:

Gourmet's Parmesan Custard Tart With Butternut Squash

Try this soup...

Pumpkin soup (sorry not pics!)