Thursday, March 09, 2006

Teresa Heinz Kerry's Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; cream together with electric mixer. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla; beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop dough with a tablespoon onto a well-greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 5 dozen.

Tip:
Here's how to plump the raisins. Do this before you start making the cookies and the raisins will be ready when you need them. Place the raisins in a microwave container and pour 2 tablespoons of water over top. Microwave on high for 1 minute; let set for five minutes. Discard any remaining water.

Notes:
This recipe is a product of the 2004 Kerry for President campaign.

Another great Easy Recipe

Love At Home

There is beauty all around
When there's love at home.
There is joy in every sound
When there's love at home.

Roses bloom beneath our feet,
All the earth is a garden sweet,
Making life a bliss complete,
When there's love at home.

-- John Hugh McNaughton (1829-1891)