TURKEYS ARE OVERRATED

Elizabeth Hoang | ’20-’21 Historian/Tech Editor

HEY SUNS! We all know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Thanksgiving means food, a lot of food. I wanted to share some baking recipes for you to make goodies and treats for your family and loved ones to show your thanks and appreciation for them. Especially right now when everyone seems to be stuck in this never-ending cycle of waking up, working, eating, and going back to sleep to do it all over again, I think that sending your thanks in the form of a little treat is just what everyone needs! Remember to tell your loved ones just how thankful you are for them! It’s not everyday that we celebrate the things we’re thankful for with a turkey.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients: • 2 pie crusts homemade or store-bought • ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon ground ginger • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves • ¼ teaspoon salt • 1 cup (250 grams) pumpkin puree • ¾ cup (180 ml) evaporated milk • 1 egg lightly beaten

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree • 1 cup granulated sugar • ½ cup vegetable oil • 1 large egg • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon milk • 1-2 cups chocolate chips

Mini Pumpkin Pies

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crusts out to ⅛" thickness. Using a 3.5-inch cookie cutter (or cup) cut out 18 circles from the pie crusts. Re-roll any scrap pieces of pie dough as needed to cut out the circles. 3. Place each circle of pie crust in 18 cavities of 2 standard 12-count muffin pans. Gently press the dough down and around the sides. Transfer the muffin pans to the refrigerator while you make the filling. 4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until well combined. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, and egg until fully combined. 5. Remove the muffin pans with the pie crusts from the refrigerator. Spoon the pumpkin pie filling evenly between all 18 pie crusts in the muffin pans (about 2 tablespoons per pie crust). 6. Bake at 400°F for 16-20 minutes or until the tops of the mini pumpkin pies are set and the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, remove from the muffin pan, then place on the wire rack to finish cooling.

Once cooled, place in an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Set aside. 2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt. If you'd like a fluffier cookie, dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredients. 4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Finally stir in chocolate chips and stir just until combined. Do not over mix. 5. Drop cookies on by the spoonful about 2 inches apart, or use a medium cooke scoop.

Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops if desired. 6. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean and the bottoms are lightly brown. Check one and bake 1-2 more minutes if the center is not quite done. 7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. These taste even better the next day.