Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Now that November is here, I am feeling the need to bake again - and try new recipes. My excitement is fueled even further by a recent meet-and-greet with a cook I admire very much, Ree Drummond (better known as The Pioneer Woman). She has a new cookbook out and I will try some of the recipes and share experiences later.

I have had a real hankering for pumpkin chocolate chip sweets. Last week I made a loaf of pumpkin chocolate chip bread and it went over very well at the office. Today I made these cookies, courtesy of the Food Network, to share with a few of my patients tomorrow. A nice cup of fresh brewed coffee goes well with these.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*

2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet*

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

In place of the four spices listed, I used 2 teaspoons Penzey's Spices Cake Spice. Also, I dislike milk chocolate chips because they are too sweet, but semisweet IS too intense for such a spicy cookie. Therefore, I used 1 cup of semisweet miniature chocolate chips and I added 1/2 cup of finely chopped toasted walnuts.