Peter Peter (and Jean and Richard) Pumpkin Eater!

I’ve probably thrown away 30 or 40 pumpkins during my adult life. Many of those, at least in the last 10 years or so, have ended up in my compost heap, but it still seems like not the best use of the squashy flesh of the good old pumpkin. But you can eat these guys! I’ve used pumpkins for soups and sides, but when I’m hankering for something sweet, I break out a pumpkin cookie recipe I used once to make use of the leftover canned pumpkin from a Thanksgiving pie. Yes, this year’s pumpkin will provide some yummy goodness.

I carried the pumpkin to the kitchen and cut it first in half and then in quarters. I scraped off the seeds and gooey stuff, and then placed the pieces, flesh side down, in a baking dish with a little water and butter.

I cooked the pumpkin for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees and then took it out of the oven to cool. Once the pieces cooled, I scraped out the flesh and measured 1 cup. This is all needed for my batch of cookies. The rest will be reserved for a holiday pumpkin pie!

I’ve taken a couple of recipes, made a few modifications to increase the health quotient and created a recipe for my pumpkin cookies. Instead of a 2/3 cup of butter, I’ll use 1/3 cup and make up the difference with peanut butter. I’ve replaced the 1 cup of white sugar with a half a cup of raw sugar and a quarter cup of honey. The cookies are mildly sweet so I’ll add a cup of date pieces for a little extra sweetness. And instead of 2 cups of white flour, I’ll use 1 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup unbleached white and an additional 1/2 cup of something like ground flaxseed or oats. Once baked these bad boys are tasty and wholesome.

Wholesome Pumpkin Cookies

1/3 cup softened butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup ground flax, hemp or oats (use flour if you don’t have any of these items)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
* optional 1 cup date pieces

Preheat over to 350. First blend the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and honey. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to the mix and beat this until creamy.

Mix all the dry ingredients together first and then fold the creamy mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix well.

Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Eat and smile!

---