a source for crafting ideas, recipes, and more …

Wow, it’s been over 2 months since I last posted a recipe so here’s one appropriate for the fall.  I wanted to make these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a couple of different reasons: 1) to package into a container as a thank you for a friend who was delivering a box that was sent to me at work; 2) to package into two little birthday gifts for two of my coworkers; and 3) to find good use for a can of Libby’s pumpkin that I meant to use for something else (but I had one too many cans for the other thing).

I started off by searching online for a recipe using the canned pumpkin and came across this one and decided to try it out since it seemed simple enough.  And while pulling out all of the ingredients from the cabinet, I realized I had a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips so I decided to dump them into the batter too.

Here’s my rendition of the recipe with modified instructions (read: made without hauling out the Kitchen Aid mixer):

Ingredients:

– 1.5 cups of granulated sugar
– 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) (softened to room temperature)
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp nutmeg
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 egg
– 1 can (15 oz.) of Libby’s pumpkin
– 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour
– 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1.  Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon (or if you’re like me, with a rice paddle).

2.  Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.  Mix thoroughly.

3.  Add the egg and the pumpkin.  Mix thoroughly.

4.  Add the flour and mix really well until you don’t see any of the white flour in the batter.

5.  Add a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir well.

6.  I use an ice cream scooper that is about an inch wide across so that the cookies come out to the same size.  I think it’s a little more than a tablespoon of dough.  Put on the cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart.

For some reason, these kept their domed shape very well after baking (compared to the photo in the original recipe’s link – those were flat like normal cookies).  As you can see, I was able to fit a lot onto one sheet at a time.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes or until they come out slightly darker in color and firm to the touch.  Let them cool on the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

They’re a little bit bigger than bite-sized which makes them great for packaging up for gift-giving.  I would guestimate that the batter yielded around 80 cookies at this size.  It’s a super easy recipe since you can make it in one big bowl, too.  Enjoy!