Pumpkin Time!

It's pumpkin time. Today is the first day over here that we have not had 70-80 degree weather, having grown up in the Pacific Northwest nothing prepared me for the true wonder of the eastern side of the mountains- sun and warm weather every day into October? Yes please! But now the weather seems to have changed its mind- there is no slow change of blurry grey days on this side- it is 70 one day and then 50 the next. This leaves me chilly but in a mega autumn mood. Its time for pumpkin.

Having made pumpkin bread a million times over, I was searching for something new. These are based off of a recipe by Martha Stewart but tweaked considerably, really it was the "cake-like" cookie description that hooked me in and I was off and rolling in no time.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add egg, mixing until blended then add pumpkin puree. Sift together dry ingredients, then add to the pumpkin mix in as few mixes as possible. Add the chocolate chips. Spoon onto greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. I use an ice cream scoop to do this, as it makes nice evenly sized cookies. Bake 20-25 minutes.