YUMMY!!

Since Conner has allergies I needed to find a recipe for his first birthday cake that didn't include eggs. While I was doing that I came across a recipe for pumpkin cookies. Today, I did a trial run on the eggless cake and I also decided to make the pumpkin cookies since we are going to a fall playdate tomorrow. The cake turned out edible. Now, I will post Jimmy's opinion of it after he tries it. This just in...chocolate cakes passes Murtaugh taste test- all the boys love it! I am more fond of vanilla cake and this one was chocolate. I can easily make it vanilla by leaving out the cocoa powder. However, the pumpkin cookies are to die for! So, I am going to share it with all of you.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups flour of choice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter(1 stick)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pumpkin (a small can 15oz. will make 2 batches)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Cream together, sugar and margarine, then gradually add and beat in maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Add and beat in flour mix. Add walnuts and/or cranberries if desired. Drop onto baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. They will look almost the same exact way as you place them on the baking tray when they come out. I used a skewer to check to see if they were cooked. Chewy and yummy. Eat fast or freeze. Freezes really well, but prepared cookies don't stay fresh long.

Jimmy, James, Conner and I all loved them. I am hiding the rest of them so that I still have some to take with me tomorrow. I am going to make another batch on either Thursday or Friday. I didn't use walnuts or dried cranberries so I can't tell you how those would taste. Enjoy!