Savor the Taste of Fall: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies




Fall is my favorite season. The colorful leaves, football games and fun holidays (including my birthday!), as well as the brisk, festive atmosphere all help me appreciate the beauty of autumn. 

What’s better than fall in Del Ray, walking around the neighborhood, enjoying increasingly cooler weather, checking out porch decorations, experiencing memorable events like the Del Ray Halloween Parade and Art on the Avenue? I enjoy going to the Farmer’s Market year-round, but I especially like visiting in the fall, when I sample apple cider, buy chrysanthemums, and admire the colorful pumpkins and gourds.

If you head towards Pat Miller Square on a crisp sunny Saturday this month, you might find my sister and me selling a batch of our homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Featuring pumpkin and cinnamon, these cakey, chocolatey cookies always remind me of fall and the changing seasons, whether enjoyed at a tailgate with friends, or warm from the oven with a glass of milk as an afterschool treat. Enjoy!
 
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (8 oz)
  • 1 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. Using a tablespoon, dollop the batter onto a parchment papered cookie sheet. Bake for 13-14 minutes. Makes 24 cookies.


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Highlights From Grace Episcopal School’s 2026 Poetry Jam
By Julia Byrnes, Admissions Director
Ode to Forests (Alex R., Age 9)
Oh, forests 
 You calm me better than any tea ever 
 Your flowers are like art on the ground, 
 And your leaves are little umbrellas 
 We climb your branches, and you don’t get angry 
 You let us walk in you, and you calm us down 
 Without you all of us would go crazy
Today the Leaves are Alive (Katherine H., Age 8)
Today the leaves are alive
  They’re doing cartwheels through the sky, 
 While others are saying hi.
  When I walk through the forest they shout out with glee, 
 I feel like they are all cheering for me. Today the leaves are alive
 
Shadows (Meraf G., Age 9)
Shadows In my bedroom shadows dance across the floor as quick as lightning
  How frightening
  They run towards my closet door 
 Their teeth gleam in the moonlight
 I open my mouth to scream 
 When I realize this is all just a dream 
 I shudder then mutter 
 Phew!!! What a fright tonight!
 
Black (Tate W., Age 8)
Black is a black hole of eternity 
 Like a black cat on Halloween 
 Like a blackberry from a farm 
 Like a black panther hunting through the night 
 Like a storm booming really loudly Black