Oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal!!! Ok so I know I just used oatmeal in the last recipe, I would apologize, but well I am not going to. It is my week to cook for Viv’s daycare group, just 4 kids, and since I try to minimize the processed foods Viv gets, I make them all their snacks, including a granola type oatmeal bar. The main ingredient in the bars I make is banana, but since I didn’t have ripe bananas I turned to the only thing in my pantry that would work, PUMPKIN! Thank you grocery store for having 2 cans of Organic Pumpkin on sale for $1. I do need to buy another can now, but that isn’t your problem so I won’t bore you with the details. Ok peeps, here it is, a super yummy cookie, perfect for the season! And if you are really savvy, just roast or steam and puree the pumpkins you have sitting outside your door, then nix the can, but I am lazy……..

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies – seriously YUM!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies (recipe yields 2 dozen)

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour (for GF use Almond or Quinoa)

1 1/2 cups of organic rolled oats

1/8 cup of good quality brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp of nutmeg

1/2 cup of organic raisins (I love TJ’s)

1/4 cup of chocolate chips – optional (I omitted them because I don’t want the kids to have chocolate but note they won’t be as sweet so you can increase brown sugar by just a tad)

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup of organic pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp of vanilla

1/8 cup of organic agave

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place silpat or other silicone liner on large cookie sheet. You can use parchment paper if you do not have one, but get one they are fab and since they last forever are more cost-effective.
• In medium mixing bowl, whisk all wet ingredients until baby food consistent
• In large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix with fork until incorporated (did the tune to Kids Incorporated just pop into your head, yeah me too!)
• Using a rubber scraper, pour wet into dry and then stir using a wooden spoon. It will not be wet and will end up a bread like ball.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookie Dough

• Using a cookie scoop (they are a few bucks at Bed Bath & Beyond and guarantees same sized cookies) drop cookies onto cookie sheet
• Press cookie dough down with fork until you get the shape you want, they do not expand while cooking
• Cook for 12 minutes, cool on rack and enjoy! 
  

  Pressed cookie before baking