Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

I have never made anything with pumpkin except pumpkin pie, and I thought that this year, that needs to be fixed. Why should I use pumpkin for only one thing?

Bakerella showed me this recipe and when my Dad came into town to visit my son (and me too, I think!) I whipped them up.

My sister was also hanging out, so she commandeered the camera and I had no control over what was snapped, please forgive any pictures of me, thank you!

A prime example of my sister taking over.

These were supposed to be pictures of my ingredients:

Granted, my sister Victoria is beautiful,
but I don't see how this can help you.

So lets move on and see if I can find anything that is of use. The recipe is at the bottom of the blog.

First you cream the butter then add the sugars and mix until creamy.

Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well each time.

Add the vanilla too.

You are going to add the flour and pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin last, alternating each item until done.

Then the chocolate chunks (or chips).

I use a scooper to have even cookie sizes. This was my first batch and I lined my sheet with wax paper but it didn't work well, so I just sprayed the cookie sheet with a little bakers joy and that worked wonderfully!

For the Maple Butter Frosting (totally optional):

Melt the butter til brown-ish, but don't burn it!

Mix all the ingredients.

The recipe says maple flavoring, but I just used pure maple syrup.

Enjoy!

I also tried this recipe as muffins and it worked well too!

The Mini muffins I cooked as long as the cookies, but the big muffins were about twice as long.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.
• Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
• Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions. Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.
• Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about four dozen cookies.
• Let cool.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp maple flavoring

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn.
• Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.
• Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.
• Spread on top of cookies with an knife or offset spatula.