Making pumpkin puree...and a new recipe!

Q and I just harvested these beauties from the garden....

Do you see a green one in the mix? I'll be doing something with that one as well as one of the orange ones (so stay tuned!). The rest will be used for all sorts of recipes. I started on a couple of them yesterday.

First, with Q's help, we cut these in half. Then, I took out all of the seeds and cleaned them up inside.

We cut the pieces into nice big chunks and placed them into two baking dishes. I poured about three cups of water in each pan before placing them in the oven. More than half way through I forgot that I had not covered the pans, so I placed aluminum foil on top and let it bake some more. They baked at 350 degrees for a little over an hour. You'll have to test it to see if the meat is soft when you prick it with a fork.

I cut the skin off and placed small chunks into my blender. I did about three batches like this and the puree came out sooo creamy (kind of looks like baby food). In the past, I've used a potato masher, but it won't be as smooth in consistency. Do it whichever way you prefer.:)

Then, I made these cookies and took them to dress rehearsal last night. I shared them with my new friends in the chorale. They all loved them! I found the recipe at 5 Dollar Dinners. They are so scrumptious....perfect for the fall season...enjoy....

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, eggs and canned pumpkin puree. once smooth, add the flour, soda, cinnamon pie spice, and salt. Stir until dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack before serving.