Out of the Pantry and into the Cookie Jar

Some days you just have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty - or at least find your way up to your wrists in cookie dough. Yesterday, Audrey and I grabbed some pantry staples and got down to some serious cookie-making business. Audrey's aunt gave her a Sesame Street cookbook featuring all cookie recipes several months ago. While spring doesn't scream pumpkin, I've been eager to try one of the recipes for pumpkin cookies. Some cloudy weather seemed like the perfect excuse to give them a try (as if we needed an excuse). These cookies turned out chewy with a nice hint of spice, even though I think I baked them one minute too long. The best part? With ingredients like cranberries, oats, and pumpkin, I didn't feel too bad when Audrey and I ate over a dozen in two days. Here is our adapted recipe:

Pumpkin Cranberry Oat Cookies

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. solid-pack pumpkin

2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flours, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, in an electric mixer beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about five minutes). Beat in vanilla and egg. Slowly blend in pumpkin. Add in flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add in oats, beat until well mixed. Stir in cranberries and drop by tablespoon onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies should be golden brown. Keep cookies cooling on cookie sheet for one minute before cooling on wire racks. Enjoy. (Makes about 2 dozen).

~ Adapted from Sesame Street's Yummy Cookies.