Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies and The Best Fudge

I promised more holiday cookie/treat recipes and here they are! The first time I made this fudge was last year at Christmas and boy is it good! In the words of my Grandma, "This is the best fudge I've ever tasted!" That is a huge compliment coming from her--she has been cooking all her life. Although the fudge has peanut butter in it, you really can't taste it; it's more of a secret ingredient to make the fudge rich and creamy. So here it is:
Ingredients:
* 1 cup smooth all-natural peanut butter
* 3/4 cup maple syrup
* 1 cup good-quality dark chocolate chips
* 1 cup walnuts, chopped, optional
Yes. That's it. In order to get the creamiest, smoothest texture possible in the finished fudge, it is important to melt the chocolate chips down first in either a double-boiler or thick-bottomed saucepan. Once the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and add in the peanut butter and syrup. Stir until well combined. If using nuts, stir them in. Pour the mixture into a non-stick cake pan or casserole dish (you can lightly oil the pan just to make sure the fudge doesn't stick) and spread out in an even layer. Chill in the fridge for several hours until set. Cut into small cubes or squares.

These pumpkin chocolate cookies are moist and tender with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg--perfect for the Holidays.
Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients: Makes about 2 dozen cookies
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened (Earth Balance is my favorite)
* 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sucanat
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup cooked pumpkin (organic canned pumpkin works well)
* 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon EACH: baking powder and baking soda
* 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped pecans, or both
Line two cookie pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the margaine with the sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir together. Fold in the nuts and/or chocolate. Drop the batter by the tablespoon onto the lined pans, about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 15-16 minutes.

One more thing--the newest issue of VegNews has two great-looking holiday sweet treat recipes--Cranberry Ginger & Pistachio Biscotti and a Jeweled Chocolate Bark. I will be making the Biscotti recipe and will let you all know how it turns out. I've never eaten or cooked biscotti, so it should be an interesting experience for me. Have any of you tasted/made biscotti?