Pumpkin spice cookies
Adapted from a Libby's canned pumpkin ad from the 80s
This is a double batch and makes 40-50 cookies
Note: by happy accident I once discovered that if you want a less sweet, more pronounced spice flavor, you can use half the prescribed sugars and you will still get a perfectly delicious cookie. The dough will not spread as much during baking, so you may need to increase the cooking time as they'll come out shaped more like boulders than discs.
4 cups flour
2 cups raw old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ginger, and cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (omit if decorating)
(If decorating) assorted icing, peanut butter, candies, sprinkles, raisins, or nuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Alternate adding flour mixture with adding pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop a generous spoonful onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. If you want to shape the cookies like pumpkins, use 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie and add a bit more to form a stem. Bake 15 minutes (if the cookies are smaller) or 20-25 minutes (if cookies are larger). If you take them out just as they are barely beginning to brown, they will be extremely soft and chewy. Leave them in for another minute or two if you like your cookies less soft, but do not let them start to firm up while they are still in the oven. Cool on racks. When cool, store or decorate.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have throughout my life!