It's been a while since my last post. First Ramadan, then canning season, and now my 15 month old son has hit a stage that can only be described by his insane urge to desrtoy, knock over, throw, or hide everything in sight. But it seems, now, as it always does, life is settling back into a routine. And it's my FAVORITE time of the year! Fall is here. Along with it comes straw bales, mums, squash, cider, apples, a chill in the morning air and PUMPKIN FLAVORED EVERYTHING! I am in love with pumpkin. Year round I love it, but in the fall it just feels right. It seems to foreshadow the warmth of a fireplace to come. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are one of the best ways to enjoy this yummy fall ingredient. They are cakey and spongy, moist and spicy, and they go so perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning.
As always, I like to try to simplify and "healthify" my recipes. This was a delicious one I found, but as is often the case, had too much oil and sugar for my taste, and not enough kick. I like a lot of spice in my pumpkin. Cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, bring on the spices! i made some adjustments and think it's better than the original, not to mention is now more fit for breakfast with your morning cuppa joe.
These freeze and ship in the mail really well. I always make a huge batch, because as soon as I mention that I am making them I get requests to mail someone a package of some. And any left over can be tossed in a ziploc, thrown in the freezer, and pulled out to let defrost(or use a microwave) any time you get a hankering for one. You could definitely halve this batch to make less, but I have never had a single cookie go to waste. If you're gonna make them, might as well make the big batch.
Another hink...I am big on store brands. I'm a frugal gal. I went with the store brand pumpkin when I made these last time. Big mistake. Get the Libbys brand, or another good one. I usually ejoy eating the pumpkin straight from the can. This stuff tasted like i was licking a nickel. It was gross. Once I added the spices it was ok, but not great.
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Preheat oven to 365
One 29 oz can of Pumpkin Puree(Not pumkin Pie mix, you want just the puree)
1 1/3 cup white sugar
4 cups flour
3/4 cup applesauce(I prefer plain, unsweetened)
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp gound nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tbsp vanilla
2 cups chocholate chips
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir till well mixed. Grease your baking sheet. Drop by spoonfuls onto sheet. These cookies are more cakey and don't flatten so they may look a bit strane when they come out. Bake for 18-25 minutes depending on your oven. These are very forgiving cookies. Ive cooked them too long and they were still great. A little toughter on the outside but still delicious. Ive undercooked them, but still YUM!
Leave finished cookies to cool on the counter. Try not to eat them all befire you can give any away. That's it, one bowl, one cookie sheet and a few spoons for dishes.
