Pumpkin Pistachio Cookies and Pumpkin Graham Bread

My love for all things pumpkin continues.  I think I've turned into a bit of a food mad scientist.  I think of a few ingredients and ponder what I can create with them.  Then, I Google the ingredients.  When something catches my eye, I look at the recipe and immediately start altering it in my head.  Switch this flour for that flour, this sugar for that, this fat for theirs, etc.  Below are two that I've recently been playing with.  The Pumpkin Pistachio Cookies are a big hit.  They are moist and not as sweet as a typical chocolate cookie.  The Pumpkin Graham Bread has a nutty flavor, very different from traditional pumpkin breads.  Hope you enjoy and let me know how you've altered my recipe to fit your taste buds!

PUMPKIN PISTACHIO COOKIES:

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats, ground fine or oat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 TBS raw cacao powder
1/4 c chopped raw pistachio nuts
1/4 c finely ground raw pumpkin seeds
3/4 c sugar of choice. I use raw local honey.  Vegans may use Agave.
1/4 c warm (softened or melted) coconut oil
1/4 c natural applesauce, room temperature
4 TBS almond milk at room temperature or warmed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c pumpkin puree
*Optional, 1/4 c semisweet, diary-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.  Have a silicone baking pad ready.  Do not grease or spray with Pam. 
Liquid ingredients need to be warm to prevent the coconut oil from solidifying.

Mix dry then add wet ingredients.  The mixture will be very soft and wet.  Once well mixed, put the silicone pad into the oven.  Using a melon ball or cookie scoop, scoop the mix and put on the pad.  (I tried using a baking sheet and parchment paper but the cookies stuck. It was a big mess trying to place the dough onto the pad and then move it to the oven.)  Either leave the cookie as is or press down with two fingers.  Bake approximately 6 minutes then let cool for 2 or 3 minutes before removing from the silicone pad.  I use a metal spatula or let them cool a few more and just remove with my fingers. 

Pumpkin Pistachio cookies

PUMPKIN GRAHAM BREAD

I made some graham crackers last month and had graham flour left over. Had pumpkin left over from the pumpkin pistachio cookies.  Hmmm... put the two together??  

1/2 c oat flour, ground fine
1 c graham flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
2 eggs (vegans sub with flax seed)
1/4 c + 1 TBS honey or agave (or maple syrup)
1/4 c almond milk, warmed
1/4 c ground/chopped pumpkin seeds for the topping

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray two 3 x 5 loaf pan with Pam.
Mix dry then wet.  Pour mixture into pan then press pumpkin seeds onto the top.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out dry.  Cool then wrap in plastic wrap.  

Pumpkin Graham Bread

Pumpkin Graham Bread, muffin

Graham cracker sandwich

Cookies for Christmas

1/4 c whole wheat flour
2-1/2 c graham flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS coconut oil
1/2 c almond milk, warm
1/4 c honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c brown sugar (raw or honey or agave)
1/4 c water, as needed

Combine wet, then dry in food processor.
Roll out on lightly floured surface about 1/8 inch.
Score for ease of cutting after baking.

Bake 350 6-8 minutes on silicone mat.

Graham crackers with strawberry chia jam

GoFundMe for NYC Marathon

Goji Berry Muffin

Do you know what a Goji Berry is?  I had never heard of it until recently.  According to Wikipedia:  

Goji, goji berry or wolfberry is the fruit of Lycium barbarum (simplified Chinese: 宁夏枸杞; traditional Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxiàgǒuqǐ) and Lycium chinense (pinyin: gǒuqǐ), two closely related species of boxthorn in the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The family also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, belladonna, chili pepper, and tobacco. The two species are native to Asia.^[1]

I've only eaten them dried. They have a mild flavor somewhere between a raisin and a dried cherry.  They are quite chewy all by themselves.  I've started incorporating the berry into my granola, #Runergy bars, pancakes, and muffins.  They are brightly colored, and mixed with pistachios or pumpkin seeds remind me of Christmas.  

Below is my Goji Berry muffin recipe.  Enjoy!!

1/2 c all-natural applesauce

1/2 c raw, local honey

1/2 c canned coconut milk

1 ripe banana

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1-1/4 c rolled oats (I use Quaker old fashioned)

1/2 c raw cacao beans

1 c dried Goji berry

Put all of the wet ingredients in a large bowl.  Grind the oats and cacao beans.  Chop half of the Goji berries (optional).  Add all the dry to the wet.  Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.  

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Options:  Use chocolate chips instead of cacao beans.  Add 1 to 2 tsp Espresso powder.  Leave out the chocolate/cacao and add another fruit like blueberries or apples.  Go vegan by using Agave, add chopped raw nuts such as almonds, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds.  

Goji Berry Muffin

Goji Berry Muffin hot out of the oven.

#Runergy Recipes

The following recipes are a few additions to the #Runergy line.  Give 'em a try.  I don't state this in every recipe so note: I use raw, local, unprocessed honey, shredded and unsweetened coconut flakes, organic rolled oats (Quaker rolled can be substituted), raw nuts, fresh fruit (frozen is okay if out of season), and dairy-free chocolate. 

Thanksgiving bar:
1 c organic rolled oats
1/2 c sweet potato flour
1 c cranberries
1/3 c raw local honey
1/4 (or slightly less) tsp seat salt.

Thanksgiving #Runergy Bar

First, I baked one large sweet potato until soft, then I dried it in a dehydrator until the consistency of rock candy.  Then, I ground it in a food processor.  It's a process, but fresher than store-bought flour.  Next, coarse grind your oats.  I used dried cranberries here, but you can dry your own at the same time as you dry the sweet potatoes.   Mix all ingredients well then form into logs and dry for 8-10 hours at 125F.

CH, CH, CH CHIA and Blueberry:

1 c organic rolled oats
1/3 c raw local honey
1 c blueberries chopped
4 TBS toasted amaranth
1 TBS Chia gel
(Chia gel - soak 1 TBS chia seeds in 6 TBS water)
1/4 tsp salt

Lightly toast amaranth on medium high heat for about a minute.  Mix all ingredients together and let sit for about 20-30 minutes.  I don't grind the oats for this one so they take a little longer to soak up the liquid.  Dehydrate at 105F for 10 hours.  

Chia and Blueberry #Runergy Bar

CACAO
1 c puffed amaranth
1 c cacao beans
1/2 c raw almonds
1/2 c raw cashews
1 c rolled oats
1 c honey
*Optional:  1/2 c chia seeds, 1/2 c Goji berries, 1 c pureed Majool dates

Puree al dry ingredients until fine.  Mix in honey.  Line a baking dish with plastic wrap.  Put half a cup into dish and press firmly to mold.  Dehydrate at 125F for 2-4 hours.  (Same mold instructions for all the bars.)

Cacao #Runergy Bar

FRUIT AND NUT BARS:
1 c raw local honey
3 c rolled oats
1/2 c coconut flakes
1 c pineapple
1 c cherries
1/2 dates
1/2 c blackberry fruit roll up (made in dehydrator)
1/4 tsp salt
1 c raw almonds
1/2 c raw cashews
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds

Step one:  dehydrate your fruit.  May take up to 8 hours.  
Step two:  Mix ingredients in large bowl in order listed.  Like baking dish with plastic wrap (for a mold).  Put in about one inch thick of mixture, cover and compress with a second baking dish.  Squish it good to compact.  Put logs onto dehydrator trays.  125F for 8-10 hours.  Will be soft when warm.  Cool for a few minutes then wrap and store in the fridge.

CHOCOLATE GRANOLA:
1 c raw local honey
3 c rolled oats
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c puffed amaranth
1/2 c raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, cacao beans
1/2 c wheat germ (optional)
1 to 2 c dried cherries, blueberries, dates, pineapple
1/2 c pineapple juice
1/2 tsp salt

See steps one and two above.

Chocolate Granola #Runergy Bar

Mold for bars

Fruit and Nut #Runergy Bar

Making blackberry fruit roll up

PUMPKIN #RUNERGY BAR
2 cans pumpkin puree
2 c rolled oats, ground
1 c raw local honey
1/2 c pureed dried dates
2 TBS coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1/2 c each ground cashew and pumpkin seeds
1 c chopped dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)

Mix in order above.  Either bake on parchment-lined jelly roll sheet at 200 for one hour or use the mold method and dehydrate at 135F for 4-6 hours.  These will be soft so don't over cook or over dry.  

Pumpkin #Runergy Bar