Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cardamom and Dried Cranberries

It’s fall!  Time for all things pumpkin and squash.  Today I decided to make up a batch of pumpkin oatmeal cookies.  I just cooked up a monster Galeux d’eysines (the bigger brother of the one in the photo), which makes a beautiful deep orange puree.  Some will go into the freezer, but we’re also going to experiment with some more pumpkin recipes.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cardamom and Dried Cranberries

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour – I prefer King Arthur Flour Flour All Purpose Unbleached, 5-Pound (Pack of 4)King Arthur’s.  You could also fresh ground soft white wheat, or a gluten free flour blend
• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal – quick cooking for a softer cookie, old fashioned or steel cut for a chewier cookie
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Real Salt Sea Salt – Pouch, 26-OunceReal Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, preferably organic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably organic

Wet mix ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 ounces) butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large chicken egg or small duck egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup home cooked pumpkin (squash) puree or 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin

Ingredients to add last:

• 1 cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, preferably as crispy nuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or Kitchen Supply 13 Inch x 17 Inch Parchment Paperreusable parchment sheets.

In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients and set aside.  (If you don’t want to dirty a bowl for this, you can dump them straight onto the top of your wet mixture, but this ensures they are thoroughly mixed.)

Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until well blended. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until blended. Stir in cranberries or tart cherries and chopped nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and set.  Don’t overbake!  You can use AirBake Ultra by T-fal 08613PA T491ADK2 Insulated Nonstick 16 x 14-Inch Large Cookie Sheet Bakeware, SilverAirbake pans if you’re nervous about burning the cookies.  These are tender cookies, so you’ll need to let them cool for a few minutes on the pan to set up before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.  (I love my big Nordic Ware Extra Large Cooling Rack 16 Inche by 20 Inchgrid -style cooling rack – nothing falls through it.)

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This recipe was adapted from About.com.

These cookies were even a hit with the boys, who normally aren’t big on oatmeal cookies.

You can see it’s loaded with goodies. 

These definitely go on the “keeper” list.  Yum!

BR>
Common Sense Homesteading is

about using common sense to be more self-reliant, with an emphasis on home
food production.