spaghetti squash and pumpkin cookies

heavens to betsy, was this ever a flavorful fall meal! my kitchen smelled so good while the spaghetti squash and pumpkin cookies were baking, it may have even lured a new furry into our family! (more on that to come... don't want to jinx it!) edit: that little furry is named sammy and he already has a family. he still comes to visit!

 

this was my first time with spaghetti squash. it took a few bites for me to get used to and by leftovers the next day i was hooked! i find it super yummy, warm or cool with olive oil, himalayan salt, pepper, and oregano.

sauteed artichoke hearts and organic shelled edamame also went nicely with the strands of squashy goodness. john enjoyed both dishes as well.

for those who haven't tried spaghetti squash, i'd describe it as a sweet winter squash with an interesting texture... almost like zucchini pasta, but cooked. all you do is slice it in half, length-wise, bake it face down at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or so, then go at with a fork. the flesh naturally falls apart into spaghetti-like strands.

...though the name is a bit misleading, as it doesn't taste at all like spaghetti. think yummy, slightly crunchy, healthy pasta alternative... a nice seasonal sub for kelp noodles and other gluten-free pastas!

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for those who have tried it, do you like spaghetti squash? how do you prepare it?

on to dessert...

though i prefer to make raw sweets, john loves baked goodies and is so appreciative when i bake him something, it almost makes the burnt fingertips and messy counter tops worthwhile. i also kind of feel bad i didn't make him zucchini brownies once this summer.

with homemade pumpkin puree in the fridge ready to expire, i searched for an easy pumpkin cookie recipe that included ingredients i had on hand. (i love the man but wasn't about to knock myself out running around!=)

these vegan old-fashioned soft pumpkin cookies were outstanding! more like little pumpkin cakes or pumpkin roll - so moist and flavorful! i bet the recipe could even be used for vegan pumpkin roll - i'll have to try it, though i'm not sure how it will compete with my mom's famous pumpkin roll...

mine may stand a chance since i add a deliciously unique fall flavor with asian five spice powder (a mix of cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, clover, and licorice root... hmmm, shouldn't it be called six spice?)  have you tried five spice powder? are you in love with it, too?

i wrote down my alterations but lost the paper. i remember using more cinnamon (maybe 2 tsp?) and a heaping tsp five spice. i cut back on the nutmeg and ginger and didn't add any cloves - only what was in the five spice powder. with no applesauce in the house, i substituted one ener-g egg replacer.

the recipe made 27 large cookies. thinking of pumpkin rolls, john thought they would taste great with cream cheese icing. i've made this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe before with vegan carrot cupcakes and everyone (including me) loved it. i'm not usually a big fan of cream-cheesy desserts.

so out we went for vegan cream cheese. (i'll run around if he's willing to keep me company!=) it was a total impulse purchase and i didn't read the ingredients until i got home. next time i'd like to try raw cream cheese, but with rejuvelac and cashews. i may even take a stab at an uncooked pumpkin roll rawl!=)