Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love fall. I love spring and summer, too, but I do love fall. I love the crisp air, the cooler weather, baseball playoff games, SEC football, and the delicious food.

(I would also add that I love how the leaves change colors, but sadly, they don't really change here in coastal Georgia. The marsh does change color, though, and it's beautiful, but I do miss seeing the leaves change.)

Now that it's officially fall (although it doesn't feel like it yet, at least not here), I am ready to start cooking and baking with some of my favorite fall foods. I can't wait to make butternut squash/sweet Italian sausage penne pasta (recipe coming soon), apple desserts and pumpkin treats.

So, in honor of the new season (and to satisfy my sweet tooth), I whipped up a batch of my favorite fall cookie. They were inspired by some that my mother-in-law found at her local Kroger a few years ago. I think we ate all of them in a day or two. I just knew that I had to find a way to make them myself.

These cookies are soft and cake-like, and are full of pumpkin and spice flavors, and chocolate chips. What's not to love about that combo?

My house smells delicious right now ...


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
I think I got this recipe from allrecipes.com
Bake at 375 degrees
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (15 oz.) cans pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups chocolate chips*

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg; stir into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

*I use dark chocolate chips because I love dark chocolate and love the contrast between the dark chocolate and the pumpkin.

Note: these cookies will bake pretty much exactly how you drop them on the cookie sheet. They don't really expand or rise too much, so if there are peaks in your cookie batter when they're on the sheet, you'll have crunchy little peaks in your baked cookies.