A bite of fall

I have a weakness for crisp air, a little bit of rain, red and orange leaves and shortened days. Fall is by far my favorite season, not least because it seems to just require cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and often a little bit of chocolate. I'm definitely mentally preparing for the Christmas season, but there's a lot to be said for relishing the season in between summer and winter and all the fantastic flavors that beg to be brought to life.
Pumpkin is an interesting ingredient to use, because it adds a lot of moisture and lightness to the texture as well as a certain sweetness. Plus, it is super healthy (it's orange!) and contains lots of fiber and vitamins A and C. What's not to love?
This cookie recipe is a little bit tweaked from the original, and I think it is one of my favorite in my repertoire. It definitely got rave reviews, and I would recommend making enough to share :)

Pumpkin Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The Culinary Couple
Yields about 2 dozen cookies

2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 C old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp chai spice blend (2 parts cardamom, 2 parts ginger, 1 part cinnamon, 1 part nutmeg, 2/3 part cloves, 2/3 part nutmeg, 2/3 part allspice, 1/3 part white pepper)
1/2 tsp salt
1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C dark chocolate chips
raw sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, spices and salt and set aside. Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla, mix well. Add flour mixture and combine until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.

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Cake on ice

Sometimes life doesn't turn out the way you planned. Actually, most of the time life throws you curveballs - and it's no different in the kitchen. It was my beautiful roommate Emma's 21st birthday, and I wanted to do something special for the occasion. My only guideline was that it needed to include blueberries, so I picked out a recipe for a jelly roll cake rolled with a blueberry cream cheese filling. However, because of the moisture added by the frozen blueberries in the frosting, it was too runny, and the cake stuck to the towel I was using to roll it into the jelly roll shape. I was literally left with a giant pile of cake and purple frosting, and not many ideas on how to proceed except to the trash can. For some reason, I grabbed a bowl and started layering cake and frosting until I had a kind of trifle or parfait, then covered it and stuck it in the freezer.

When I finally gathered the courage to look at the giant mess I'd made of the original recipe, I discovered a very pleasant kind of frozen dessert that I had no problem eating with a big smile on my face. The cream cheese frosting soaked nicely into the sponge cake layers, and then the whole mix froze into a texture similar to ice cream - I scooped it with an ice cream scooper! The blueberry and cream cheese flavors complement the sweetness of the cake well, and overall I thought the entire (accidental) endeavor was a rousing success. At least that's what I gather from the empty bowl now in the sink...

Frozen Blueberry Cake
Directions: Tear up sheet of genoise cake into small-ish chunks (about 2-inch squares are perfect) and layer along the bottom of a large bowl. Alternate layers of cream cheese frosting and torn up cake until everything is used up. Throw in extra blueberries if you choose, the more the better! Cover and freeze until the frosting is the consistency of ice cream. The best way to serve is to scoop the cake out with an ice cream scooper and serve in a bowl (or martini glass!) with a spoon.

Genoise (sponge) Cake
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Makes one half-sheet of thin cake

3 eggs
1 C granulated sugar
1/3 C water
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone sheet, parchment or foil. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed until thick and pale yellow (about 5 minutes). Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in water on low speed, then gradually add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat just until batter is smooth and pour into pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back to the touch and it's slightly golden.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes more than enough for this recipe - but keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days!

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C butter, softened
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 bag of frozen blueberries, thawed and strained

Directions: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in blueberries, trying not to add too much extra liquid. The frosting will turn a lovely shade of purple and have a thinner consistency because of the moisture from the blueberries.