These cookies are by far the best fall recipe out there. I have to admit that initially I was skeptical about these having had never imagined that pumpkin and chocolate would go well together, but they do! The pumpkin and spices are not overwhelming, and the milk chocolate chips go great in this recipe. Just a warning they are a little more cake-like than cookie which may turn some people off but, I think that it works in its favor.  They are spongy and stay soft for a week so there is no pressure to eat them fast. The recipe also makes a ton, I'm talking around 60 small and 45 large cookies, so they're great for sharing with lots of people. Everyone, and I mean everyone that I have shared them with has loved them. 

 
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There's nothing more American than pie, right? Especially when it's red, white, and blue. In honor of our nations birthday I decided to make a rustic berry pie, rustic in that there is no pie pan involved. For the crust the only tools you need is a food processor. I highly recommend throwing in finely chopped candied ginger into the dough as it plays nicely off of the lemon and berries.  For the filling I used a mixture of strawberries and blueberries but if you so desire, four cups of blueberries or raspberries* are great substitutes. Not only is this pie easy, but also absolutely delicious! 



 
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Growing up I hated oatmeal cookies. I cared little for the texture and forget about the raisins. Lately though, my taste buds have apparently altered and I cannot get enough of them! This recipe is by far the best I have tried. Chewy and at the same time delicate, these are sure to receive rave reviews from whoever takes a bite. I personally prefer to add dried cranberries to the dough but raisins or walnuts would also be good. 


 
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Despite climbing temperatures and a mounting pile of work, this afternoon, like most afternoons, I decided that the answer to my problems was baking. For the past few days I have been eyeing different brownie recipes but the thought of all of that butter and sugar, no matter how delicious it would be, was keeping me at bay. After a disastrous experience yesterday in which I decided to improve and 'loosely interpret' a chocolate cookie recipe - i.e. me not having enough butter for the recipe and reading somewhere that Greek yogurt could be used as its substitute - I decided that I should just bite the bullet and whip up a pan full of delicious chocolate treats. 
While looking up recipes online I came across one on The Well Traveled Wife for coconut brownies. Instead of using butter, coconut oil acts as a wonderful substitute. Unlike many brownie recipes that I have made before which require the browning of butter in a saucepan and a million different steps and ingredients, this one is a one bowl kind of treat. 
I played around with the recipe a little bit and cut the sugar down from 2 cups to 1 1/2. I also substituted regular white flour for whole wheat. The addition of shredded coconut is a nice change and adds a little extra crunch to the bars. I would also highly recommend letting them cool for about fifteen minutes or longer in order to let them sit and come together. 
While not as fudgy and decadent as other brownies, these were pretty good. So good in fact, that my father who usually scoffs at the idea of cutting back on butter, finished his piece in three minutes flat. No joke. Plus the fact that they are healthy- as healthy as a brownie can be - makes them all that much sweeter.