Cookie or cake?

Pan cookie, originally uploaded by kmcgivney.

When I started cooking and baking again, I sometimes found myself lacking the appropriate cookware for the task I was attempting. For example, the first time I made cookies in my current kitchen, I didn't have a cookie sheet, so I ended up baking cookies on a pizza stone and in cake pans (with delicious results, I might add). Now that I've taken on cooking and baking as a more serious hobby, I have a lot more cookware and bakeware and fabulous appliances to help me do the job (including my BFF, the red KitchenAid mixer). However, I still sometimes find myself needing to use not-quite-right items in a pinch.

Case in point: the other day I wanted to make a pumpkin-y treat, so I decided to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. The recipe I had said it made 12 cookies, a measly amount in our house, especially when we are entertaining a houseful of guests, as we were that day. So I did what anyone who loves to feed people might do in that situation and doubled the recipe.

Fast forward to forming the dough into cookies on the cookie sheet. We weren't even halfway through the dough and we had already filled two cookie sheets with at least two dozen cookies - far more than what the recipe said. Since the recipe was noted to turn out cookies with a cakelike texture, I figured popping the rest of the dough into cake pans would do the trick - and I was right! We ended up with a little over two dozen regular cookies and two 8" round cake pan cookies. Our houseguests ended up devouring the pan cookies by cutting them into big chunks and eating them with vanilla ice cream, much like one might eat a slice of cake. Yum.

Lesson learned? Don't be afraid to use an alternate cooking vessel. The results might just be better than the original.

Recipe and another photo after the jump.

I adapted the recipe from this one, making changes mostly to the spices, but also to the baking temperature and time. And obviously, the baking vessel.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg in a bowl until well blended. (I recommend combining the oil and sugar first and then adding the pumpkin and egg; the oil took a while to blend into the other ingredients when added after the pumpkin.)
   
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
   
4. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk in a small container and stir into the dry mixture.
   
5. Add dry mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla to the combined mixture.
   
6. Add chocolate chips and nuts. (I used 2 cups of chocolate chips in my doubled recipe and it was enough, so the full 2 cups might be overkill for the regular recipe. I'd probably use 1 1/4 cups or so.)
7. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 9-12 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. (It took 9 minutes for the cookies on the top rack and 11 for the cookies on the bottom rack in my oven; your oven may vary.)
   
8. (Optional) For pan-cookies, fill an 8" round greased cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 17-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm on top, or test the center with a cake tester or toothpick. The center should come out clean after about 17-20 minutes depending on your oven (it took 18 in mine).
   

Comments

[jakemonO]

cakie?