Of pumpkins and cookies

Back in September I was looking for a pumpkin because it was fall and I was craving a pumpkin pie! There is no canned pumpkin in the stores here or at least I didn't see any. I was hoping they would have some real ones at the local bazaars but they weren't selling them until October. The pumpkins that were here were way different from the ones I was used to in America and the ones I had in Russia. They are brownish on the outside and a very rich orange color on the inside with just a couple of seeds. The texture is also different, and so is the taste. They are super sweet! They almost taste as if somebody was watering it with honey while the pumpkin was growing! I am not sure what kind of pumpkin it is but we liked it!

I didn't have a pie pan, so I decided to try a new recipe and make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies instead. I found this ginormous 5 kg (11 lb) box of chocolate chips at the local store. 

And the chocolate chips were ginormous as well!

Because everything is ginormous in Kazakhstan! 


Even my cookies turned out ginormous! Oh, they were  good, really, really good! Since October I made them just about every week! They are always a big hit with kids and adults alike! 

So I decided to share the recipe here, mostly so I do not forget it myself! And I have to tell you that if you like pumpkin pie and you like chocolate, you will love these babies!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: 

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.

3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.