Sweet & Salty

Sweet & Salty Cookies

1 Cup Shelled Pumpkin Seeds (they are also called Pepitas)
1 ½ Tbs vegetable oil
2 ½ tsp salt (divided in 1 tsp & 1 ½ tsp)
½ tsp chili flakes
3 ½ Cups flour
1 ½ tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 sticks of butter
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
8 oz. Dark Chocolate roughly chopped
½ Cup Craisins


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toss pumpkin seeds, oil, 1 tsp salt, and chili flakes together. Place on sheet pan and toast until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (About 15 min.)


Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together remaining 1 ½ tsp salt, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together butter, sugars and eggs. Add flour mixture and continue to blend on low speed until combined.


Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in pumpkins seeds, chocolate, and craisins.
Spoon small balls of dough on to cookie sheet and bake in oven for approx. 12 minutes or until golden brown.

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I recently read that Pumpkins were “a nutritional power house”. The article went on to list several Fall recipes to add to your menu this pumpkin season. If you know me, then you know I was lured in. I LOVE pumpkin. I love new recipes and playing with the classics. Then….there it was… “Sweet & Salty” a cookie recipe that included dark chocolate, pumpkin, and chili peppers! Much like any hungry fish, I took the bait.

I headed to the store to gather my ingredients and thought…shelled pumpkin seeds? Where do I find THAT? A quick phone call to my personal 411 operator (My mom) and I learned that shelled pumpkin seeds actually are called Pepitas. That seriously saved me from banging my head against the wall searching for a bag labeled shelled pumpkin seeds. (Thanks mom! I love you!)

My recipes came together with a few minor alterations. (Again, I play by the rules…kind-a) I changed the whole wheat flour to all purpose flour. I changed the raisins to craisins. I also changed the dark chocolate flakes to mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

In only a few minutes I had toasted pepitas, a batch of fresh cookie dough and a warm oven. Game on!

My cookies came out with a golden glow. They had red craisins, chocolate morsels of goodness and green pepitas poking out in every direction. They were a work of art for sure.

I got my main squeeze to try them with me and I hate to say it but …. They really aren’t that great. They are not an epic fail, but I think the idea of this fun recipe was a bit more than the cookie could hold up to. Have you ever wanted to see a movie so bad and then came out of the theater thinking…really? That was it? That’s a little bit how I felt. Here’s for hoping for better luck next recipe!