I love fall and PUMPKIN season!  This year I wasn't able to grow any pumpkins myself but I did make it to a great local farm with be near our place with beautiful pie pumpkins.  We got 3 little guys so my husband could have his yearly pumpkin pie fix but after that I still had some leftover pumpkin... such a problem!  
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My pumpkin inspiration was lacking so I wandered the local library and this cute little book jumped out at me.  Of course I headed to the dessert chapters and found an excellent solution to use up the rest of my pumpkin. 

The recipe calls for canned pumpkin but fresh roasted pumpkin worked well.  This had some kind of nutty taste that boggled the mind as there are no nuts in here.  These will definitely be in the seasonal rotation; easy to make but so good!

Oatmeal-Chocolate Crisps
"The Pumpkin Cookbook" by Deedee Stovel

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

​1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the sugars and butters together with a hand mixer until well blended and fluffy.  Add the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into the mixture and continue beating at low speed until well blended.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5. Cool each baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cookies.  Cool them completely on wire racks and store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Yield: 8 dozen

Notes: Variation:  If available, substitute some of the flour with whole-wheat pastry flour. This is a low-gluten flour that adds nutrition but not the heaviness of whole-wheat bread flour.  It is a wonderful product to use in pastries and baked goods where you want the nutrition of whole wheat, but not the heaviness.

Crumb-Topped Apple Bars
Dorie's Cookies by Dorie Greenspan

These bite-sized bars come as close to pie as a cookie possibly can.  They're a triple-decker affair:  The base is a brown-sugar cookie, that once pressed into the pan, might just as well be a crust; the midsection is apples cut into chunks and tossed with a little honey (raisins and nuts are optional); and the topping is crumbs made from the same dough as the crust.  It's very beautiful and very delicious.

No matter what apples I use; the cookies are always great.  After you've mixed the apples with the honey, taste a piece and add a pinch or more of sugar if you'd like more sweetness, or a drop of lemon juice for bite.  You an also add a smidgen of spice if you want - go for the apple-pie spices:  cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and/or allspice - but I don't.

​FOR THE CRUST AND CRUMBS
225 grams unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
150 grams sugar
100 grams light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
374 grams all purpose flour

FOR THE FILLING
680 grams apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
sugar, if needed
freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed
40 grams plump moist raisins (optional)
30 grams coarsely chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts (optional)
confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

​1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 9 x 13" baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST AND CRUMBS:  Put the butter, both sugars, the salt and vanilla in a food processor and whir until the ingredients are blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.  Pour in the flour and pulse until the flour is fully incorporated and you have soft, moist clumps of dough.  Turn the dough out and knead it gently to bring it together.  Cut off one third of the dough, cover and set aside; you'll use this for the crumbs.

3. Break the other hunk of dough into pieces and press them evenly over the bottom of the pan, making sure to get into the corners.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.

4. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Although you're going to bake the crust again, this is really the only opportunity you've got to get color on it and to make certain that it's baked through, so take advantage of it; well baked is better than underbaked here.  Transfer the crust to a cooling rack.

5. TO MAKE THE FILLING AND CRUMBS:  Peel and core the apples, cut them into chunks about 1 inch on a side (don't worry about precision) and put them in a bowl.  Drizzle the honey over the apples and toss to coat evenly.  Taste a piece of apple and decide if you'd like to stir in a pinch or two of sugar or a squirt of lemon juice.  Mix in the remaining raisins and/or nuts, if you're using them, and then spread the fruit evenly over the crust, again taking care not to neglect the corners.

6. Pinch off pieces of the reserved dough and scatter them over the fruit.  You won't have a heavy coat of crumbs, and there'll be fruit peeking out from under the crumbs.

7. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the crumbs are well browned and the fruit is soft when poked with the point of a knife or slender skewer.  If your apples were juicy and they're now bubbling, you're golden.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool until just warm or at room temperature.

8. Put a piece of parchment paper over a rack, unmold the bars onto the rack and peel off the parchment, then turn the bars over onto a cutting board.  Cut into 24 squares.  These are good warm or at room temperature, and they're not at all bad chilled.  If you'd like dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

​​STORING:  The crust can be made up to 8 hours ahead, cooled and kept covered at room temperature.  It can also be wrapped airtight and frozen up to 2 months; no need to defrost before using.  In think that the bars are at their peak within hours of baking.  The crust gets soft, ditto the crumbs, when left overnight - though this seems to be a condition preferred by some cookie lovers, notably my husband, so I leave it to you to discover what you like.  The bars can be refrigerated, well wrapped for up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months.

I'm always looking for ways to use the herbs I grow, especially mint.  So much mint has come in gone in my life that I have not used.  
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This cookie recipe from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a good use.  I've liked it both with fresh or dried mint.  Photo shows it with chocolate chips which is also a good choice.

Replacing half of the butter with vegetable shortening makes it a little more like those cakey sugar cookies.  You can't go wrong with any of the options here!

Mint Cookies
Keith & Bonnie Amborn, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

​1 cup butter, room temperature (or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening & 1/2 cup butter)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoons crushed and dried mint leaves (or 4 tablespoons fresh)
additional sugar

​1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and the 1/2 cup sugar; add flour, salt, extract and mint.  Mix thoroughly.  Chill dough.

2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

3. Form dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press each dough ball with thumb.  Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes, or until light brown on bottom.

I've got a new favorite Christmas cookie....  that happens to be vegan by my idol Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

I'm not a huge peppermint candy fan but it works here.  I didn't have peppermint chocolate that the recipe calls for but I did get a gift of candy canes I crushed up in the food processor and had some Enjoy Life mega chunks in the cupboard. 
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They are not overly sweet or minty, they are the perfect dark fudgy chocolate that I respect in a cookie!  

Candy Cane Fudge Cookies
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook byIsa Chandra Moskowitz

1/2 cup refined coconut oil, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk), at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 oz peppermint chocolate bars, chopped up
4 candy canes, crushed up (in pieces no bigger than 1/2"

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and milk and mix gently; it might make the oil clump up and firm up a bit, but that's okay. Mix in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour along with the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.  Mix in the chocolate peppermint chunks and then the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it firms up. You might need to use your hands to get it fully incorporated. 

Place twelve 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops of dough on each baking sheet, a few inches apart. Flatten slightly with your hand. Place a pinch of crushed candy cane in the center of each and press gently into the surface.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack to cool completely. 

I love to try new things...  updates on classics like the Chocolate Chip Cookie top that list.  This winner comes from Mary Jane Farm magazine's favorite things Feb-Mar 2010 and I agree!  The addition of coconut and oats along with the chocoate and peanut butter chip combo really upgrades this classic!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mary Jane Farm

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup coconut shreds
2 cups semisweet chocolate chip
1 cup peanut butter chips

​1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars; mix until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.  Stir in oats, coconut and chips.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2" apart on prepared sheets.  Bake for 10 minutes.

A favorite recipe of ours to make and give comes from the comprehensive cookie reference called The All-American Cookies Book by Nancy Baggett.  I hate to admit the Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookie we love so much was inspired by a TGIFriday's famous chocolate malt cake recipe.  We've never had the inspiration but the cookie is the best we have ever made!

​I usually use standard supermarket malt powder but this old time natural Soda Fountain version makes a great carrier for the cookies once it's empty!

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookie
​The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett

COOKIE:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened American-style cocoa powder
2 tablespoons plain malted milk powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup flavorless oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons hot water

FILLING:
1 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup plain malted milk powder
2 tablespoons plain malted milk powder
3 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

COOKIES:  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease several baking sheets with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugar, butter, and oil until well blended.  Add the sour cream egg, and vanilla and beat until well blended; the mixture may look curdled.  Beat in half the flour mixture, scraping down the sides several times.  Beat in 3 tablespoons hot water, then beat or stir in the remaining flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
Drop the dough onto the baking sheets using a 1/8 cup measure or coffee scoop, spacing about 2 1/2" apart.  Using a lightly greased hand, pat down the tops just slightly.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops begin to flatten and the cookies are just barely firm in the centers.  Reverse the sheet from front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning.  Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies are slightly firm, about 3 minutes.  Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks.  let stand until completely cooled.

FILLING:  In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate morsels and butter for 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir well.  Continue to microwave stirring at 30 second intervals.  Stop before the chocolate is completely melted and let the residual heat do the job.  Let cool to warm.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the malted milk powder and cream cheese until well blended and completely smooth.  Beat in half the chocolate mixture just until incorporated.  Beat in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until well blended.  Beat in the remaining chocolate mixture and the vanilla until evenly incorporated.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until somewhat thickened but not stiff.  Beat the filling on high speed until light in color and very fluffy, about 3 minutes more; scrape down the sides several times.

Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the filling on the underside of half of the cookies.  Top each cookie with a second cookie about the same size.  Press the two together until the filling squeezes out the edge.  Let stand for at least 5 mintues so the flavors can mingle before serving.
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Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.