WHB: Squash goes blonde

This may be my last blog for a week!  Tomorrow I'm headed to the Spoke Vegas (aka Spokane, WA) to visit my in-laws who live in an internet-free home.  This isn't their choice, rather it has to do with bad luck of two broken computers.  More bad luck may head their way as I am scheduled to arrive around the same time as their new Macintosh computer.  In my college days I was notorious for breaking Macs so I hope the new machine is made of sturdier stuff.  Although we would like to go to Spokane for Thanksgiving, we made alternate plans when my husband, Churchable, was supposed to be working a shift job at the mill.

We feel it is important for us to visit since my mother-in-law "Meemo" is not doing well in her 3+ year long struggle against cancer.  I am blessed to have been given the pleasure to meet and get to know her.  She is a wonderful sweet woman.  Your prayers for her are appreciated. I'm going to cram in my Weekend Herb Blogging entry before I cram my family and the two dogs in the car for the 6 hour trip. On a positive note, Churchable is bribing me with stops at knitting stores.  There won't be a break from cooking either since Meemo will need our help around the house. Look for other less frazzled bloggers at Saffron Trail on Monday.

The travel plans interrupted what promised to be a rather leisurely week.  I spent most of Monday dreaming up menus and finishing up a new wool sweater to fill in the winter wardrobe. Our plans for the week changed over dinner of warm chicken salad (which needed a boiled egg) and turnip fries.  Plans for dinner changed earlier when I substituted Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Squares for what would-have-been a lovely squash soufflé.

This menu detour satisfied my cravings for a cookie that began when I read the Everyday Foods Cookie Edition.  The cookies were good enough to almost forgive Martha for making me scour 3 grocery stores (and then pay money) for a magazine that I already receive as a subscription. This recipe is a definite hit.  I made the slight substitution of Guittard Choc-au-lait vanilla milk chips for chocolate chips and was pleased that we had all the ingredients in the house. We were so tempted by the aroma that we dug in without waiting for the cookies to cool.  Our dogs enjoyed this too because the cookies were still crumbly and they got the scraps.


Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Squares
Everyday Food Collectible Cookie Edition

Makes 24
Prep Time 30 min
Total Time 2 hr 30 min

• 2 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 T. pumpkin pie spice (1 1/2 t cinnamon, 3/4 t ginger, 1/2 t nutmeg, 1/8 t allspice and cloves)
• 1 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 sticks (16T) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 c pumpkin puree or any other squash if you prefer
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (I used a white chocolate with a hint of vanilla chip)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin purée (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.