The non-cakey Pumpkin Cookie.

I have my sister in law to thank for this awesome find.  I was on the lookout for the perfect non-cakey Pumpkin Cookie.  I love, love, love Pumpkin in the fall.  And my love of Pumpkin Cookies runs deep, however I wanted a cookie that was more like a cookie and less like a....muffin.  What makes the perfect pumpkin cookie turn into a muffin?  Moisture.  From the pumpkin.  So, what to do?

Enter the pumpkin butter.  Cooking the pumpkin puree and reducing it down will remove much of the moisture that is to blame for the ever fluffy, muffin-ish cookie.  It was well worth a try.

And now we have a cookie!  Slightly crisp edges.  Soft center.  Chewy.  Perfect.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

{adapted from recipe HERE}

1 cup softened butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup pumpkin butter  *

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4  tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla and pumpkin butter.  Mix well.

In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Add to creamed mixture and mix well just until dry ingredients are incorporated.  You don't want to over mix.  Add chocolate chips and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Spoon dough onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  You'll want to flatten just a bit because the dough doesn't spread very well.

Bake for 14 minutes @ 350 degrees.

* Pumpkin Butter *

Mix one small can of Pumpkin puree and 1 cup of brown sugar together in a small saucepan.  Stir on medium heat until puree comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir occasionally for 1 hour, until reduced by almost 1/2.  When done, you should have about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of very thick pumpkin butter.

::  kitchen notes  ::

this is not your typical quick cookie recipe, but it is well worth the time!  give yourself a good saturday morning to make them, and include the kids.  they'll love it!