Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Makes about 30 cookies.

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 Tbsp. orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor.  Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute.  Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a spatula.

Scoop little heaps (about 2 Tbsp.) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Flatten the batter slightly.  Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned.  Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

(I made these on Christmas day.  They are nice little cookies, spiced not sweet.  Everyone loved them.)