Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Now, it is back to yet another crazy week.  However, this week has been going so well so far.  The kids have been great.  We are working on constructing reflections and rotations and they have been working really hard and really well.  I have been working on getting partner activities to run smoothly.  The first few partner activities were a mess.  Kids got rowdy and it was out of control.  However, lately they have been working well.  I made an effort to walk around and hand out "tickets" to kids who were working well and staying on task as a group.  These "tickets" can be used at the school store or in the class raffle every month. Typically, 8th graders are not as into the tickets as the younger kids, but this type of award seemed to instill some motivation in them.  I think I am going to continue this type of positive reinforcement.  Does anyone out there have any other ideas for motivating kids?

Also, this week is a short week! We have professional development days on Thursday and Friday, but my cooperating teacher advised me to take the day off Thursday as I am not an employee of the district and my time can be spent in better ways by not going.  Plus, my class on Wednesday was cancelled! So, after 11:30 tomorrow until 1:00 the next day, I am totally free! I don't even know what to do with myself.  My days have been so packed up until this point and I am afraid this crazy amount of freedom is just going to drive me insane! Actually, I am looking forward to sleeping a little more, working out, baking something fun, and working on some lesson plans and homework.

Here is one of the treats that I have made this week: Maple Pumpkin Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate.  I figured this type of cookie would be the perfect fall treat to bring to a study night.  These cookies smell amazing and are bursting with awesome fall flavors.  I can't wait to share these with my lovely DTS brothers and sisters!

Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Some The Wiser)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops maple syrup
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, and butter until well combined.  Beat in the egg until well combined.  Finally, mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Slowly combine the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
4.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  I made 24 medium-large cookies.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Enjoy :)