Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heat Oven to 375

1 C shortening
2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
15 oz canned pumpkin
4 C flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugar. beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes.

Delicious cookie recipe from my friend Steph H. I like to bump up the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg in mine to enhance the pumpkin flavor. These cookies are so soft and yummy that you're going to have to have people in mind to give some to before hand or you'll end up eating all of them yourself.

Sweet Potato Pie

Heat oven to 350

1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed
1-1/2 C brown sugar
1- 1/4 C plain yogurt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
5 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 C chopped pecans
maple syrup

In large bowl beat steamed potatoes until they fall apart. Add sugar, yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, yolks and salt and beat until combined. It will be slightly lumpy. Pour into unbaked pie shell, sprinkle with nuts and drizzle top with syrup. Bake 50-55 minutes. The center of the pie should reach 165-180 degrees. Cool completely on rack before cutting.

This recipe is from Alton Brown. If you'd like to his original click here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sweet-potato-pie-recipe/index.html
To fit my own tastes all I did was up the sweet potato content (to make the pie firmer) and add extra brown sugar. If you make it my way all of your custard will not fit in one pie shell. But if you're lucky you might just be able to fill two pie shells.

Jell-O Cookies

Heat Oven to 325

¾ C shortening
¾ C sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1—3oz pkg Jell-O
2 ¾ C flour
1T baking powder
¾ t salt

Combine first five ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients. Roll into balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten with bottom of drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes. It is fun to match Jell-O flavor/color with holiday or season. i.e. lime Jell-O for St Patrick's day or strawberry for Valentines.

This comes from one of my mom's old cookbooks. One dedicated exclusively to recipes calling for Jell-O products. Probably called something like "The Ultimate Jell-O Cookbook".
P.S. Don't use blue Jell-O with butter flavored shortening. The yellow of the shortening turns the blue Jell-O to a sickly green color. Learned that the hard way. Duh.