Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night, I decided to toss together some pumpkin cookies. I have made them in the past but I am not sure just what recipe I had used before because I couldn't seem to find one amongst my books. So I did the usual internet search on the look out for something that looked promising. Now, the thing about a pumpkin cookie is that it is more of a mini cake than a cookie. Depending on the recipe, they can come out of the oven like a smooth muffin top, a lonely whoopie pie half or a misshapen glob of bread. They are usually pretty moist and tender. And most of the time they are yummy, even if they are not very cookie-like.

I found this recipe that was a bit different than all the others. The lady that posted the recipe noted that her in-a-rush-accident of forgetting to to cream the butter and sugar together yielded more of a chewy cookie than the typical cake-like contributions of the pumpkin cookie sphere. I was a bit skeptical, but the recipe looked essentially sound, so I gave it a try.

The results were tasty. On the chewy side, but still very bread-like if not quite cake-like. They did not rise very much, so in size they were just right for a cookie. I added some extra spices and reduced the amount of chocolate chips originally called for. Also, the original recipe called for the use of parchment paper lined baking sheets, but I found that this did not allow the bottoms to brown thus making my first batch too soft for my liking. For the second batch I did away with the parchment and this resulted a nice golden bottom that held the cookie together better.

Yeild: 40 two inch cookies

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Measure the flour, baking powder and all spices into a bowl. Use a wire whisk to stir it.

In a large bowl, beat the egg, then add the butter, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla. Beat until just blended together. With a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients until just blended.

Add chocolate chips and fold in gently.

Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to drop cookies onto a baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until tops are starting to golden. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.