as i was reading my RSS reader the other day and i was intrigued by the article
The Great Canned Pumpkin Shortage of 2009: A Lame Marketing Strategy? from Eat Me Daily.
when i first heard rumblings about the pumpkin shortage - i freaked out. a whole fall and winter without pumpkin? i went to the grocery store on a mission to stock up. i hoped that because i "live" in the food space maybe i found out early enough to get there before others figured it out.
i was surprised to see quite a bit of pumpkin on the shelves but i grabbed a couple cans just to be safe. every time i went to the store after that first time i made a special trip down the pumpkin isle just to grab a couple cans. the stock varied - sometimes quite a few - sometimes empty.
if the article is true - it really is a lame marketing strategy. don't mess with a girl and her pumpkin addiction!
what say you? did you see a shortage?
anyway - on to the cookies of my dreams....
these pumpkin oatmeal cookies have officially taken over the top spot for me in the cookie department. not only do they really taste like pumpkin, they are perfectly spicy and the texture is soft and cakey. the oatmeal provides just the right amount of chewiness. i actually call them a breakfast cookie rather than a regular cookie because they are not sweet at all - so you don't feel guilty sneaking one ... two ... or three for breakfast!
the cookies keep really well in an airtight container for up to a week. i actually think they are better the day after i make them.
pumpkin oatmeal cookiesmakes about 40 cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
combination of cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on the tops of the dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a bowl.
Cream butter, honey and sugars in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla - mix well.
Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
With a small scoop - drop cookie dough onto baking sheets. They should
be a rounded tablespoon size. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a couple minutes and then transfer to wire cooling rack.
other pumpkin recipes you may enjoy....
pumpkin cake with honey cream cheese frostingpumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting
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these cookies are INCREDIBLE! i am not exaggerating - they are
perfection. the crispy cookie and the white chocolate would be amazing
on their own but the addition of the sea salt - oh my! the salty crunch
on top makes these cookies one of the best i have ever made.Session dataSession data 
these peanut butter and jelly bars fit the bill perfectly. not only are
they simple to make - you can easily double the recipe for a large
crowd. i need my peanut butter to be chunky - the smooth stuff just
doesn't feel like peanut butter to me - so i substituted chunky for
smooth. any kind of berry jam will work great and for those of you
grape jelly fans - that would work as well. i added a bit on honey to
the batter and honey roasted peanuts to the top because i think peanut
butter and honey are naturals together. 
the mixed apple pie was probably one of my favorite pies i have
made because each apple was so different - different flavor and
texture. they combined perfectly. the all butter pastry crust was flaky
and i had a lot of fun making up the top crust. i have done lattice - i
have done full crust - i have done crumble topping. i wanted something
special this time. i took the top crust and cut out circles with a
biscuit cutter and overlapped the circles. it looked like a flower. i
will be using that one again - it makes a traditional pie new again. 
