Pumpkin is one of those lovely seasonal foods I look forward to using this time of year. I try to find as many excuses as possible to include it in all it’s various forms from puree to chopped to roasted in its skin (this includes all squash varieties, really . A few weeks ago, I made my favorite pumpkin bread recipe, and last week, I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I tried two different recipes, one with two sticks of butter and the other with just one stick. The cookies with two sticks were heavier and more dense but not in a good way, where as the cookies with one stick were lighter, more like a muffin top. One of the recipes called for orange rind which I thought was interesting; the other used brown sugar instead of white, which always I find to add a lot of depth and great flavor undertones to baked goods. So I am bringing you the best of both worlds in a hybrid recipe that I’ve reconstructed for you below. These cookies are less cookie-like and really more cake like, soft, and spongy–that’s due to the pumpkin. They are spicy too, but don’t be afraid to add a little more spice than what is called for–I always do, especially the ginger and cinnamon. I tend to hold back on the nutmeg because it can get super pungent really quickly–just my opinion though .

But pumpkin is so good in so many other dishes too–and not only baked goods! (gasp!). I know, I would just bake all my foods if I could, but there are many forces working against me for that . Anyway, it is great in curries, in pasta dishes, sauteed, roasted and lightly drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with some sea salt. Pumpkins are a taste of fall for me.

Also, I am doing an event up in Seattle next weekend (email me by Monday night if you are in the Seattle area and would like to come!) with the design collective called BRITE. They are hosting me and this eating design event at Via Tribunali, a great pizzeria in the Georgetown neighborhood. They were looking for something along the lines of Pietopia, but more interactive for a smaller scale. So here’s what we are doing:

Eat My Story, Seattle, WA
Think of a story–it could be about your life, your goldfish, a favorite place, anything–and write it in 150 words or less.
Think of a list of ingredients that could go on a pizza that relate to this story–via taste, texture, history, place, smell, you name it.
Then send me the story and list by the deadline.
Next weekend, on October 3rd, we will be meeting at Via Tribunali at 1230 for a lunch extravaganza!
I am going to make pizza peels with everyone’s story and ingredients listed/drawn on them.
As guests arrive for lunch, they will get a random pizza peel (not necessarily their own story) and then have to construct it based on what’s on their peel.
Then we eat each other’s stories, understanding them in a much different way than if we had just heard or read about them . It’ll be fun, I am excited.

Have a great week!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
1 tsp ground ginger
1/ 2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
15 oz can of pure pumpkin
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
orange zest of one medium orange (optional)
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.
Sift together (or whisk in small bowl) flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger together and set aside.
Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar together in a large mixer bowl.
Add pumpkin and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Add egg and beat well until fully incorporated.
Gradually (I do it in 3 batches) beat in flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until edges start to brown. Remove from oven and cool on racks.