"Chewy" pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

As it is that season and pumpkin seems to be EVERYWHERE,  I made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that I found on this site:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I love normal pumpkin cookies, but they are usually a cake-y texture (I imagine it's due to the way that pumpkin cooks, but I don't know). I wanted to see if there was a way to get the pumpkin cookies to be more like normal chocolate chip cookies (chewy!). SO I searched and found the recipe above.

I didn't change a thing, other than I used a mix of white whole wheat and regular unbleached all-purpose flour. Oh and the chocolate chips that I used were the dark chocolate chips made by Ghiradelli, which are much bigger and more like chocolate wafers than chips (but oh so delicious). Look at those chocolate puddles of goodness:

I wasn't sure how they would turn out or how they would be received, so I only made a half batch to begin with, which was 9 cookies. They are incredibly easy to whip up. The melted butter is the most difficult ingredient to work with because I was afraid it would cook the pumpkin or re-solidify before I could finish, but it all turned out ok.

Now, it says to flatten them down a little in the original recipe, but they don't spread AT ALL. So go ahead and flatten them almost down to the thickness you want in the final cookie. I ended up flattening them a little after they came out, but the chocolate chips were so melty that it was difficult. The second time I made them, I flattened them out to about 1/3 of an inch or so BEFORE I baked them, and it worked out just fine:

Now the texture on this is not particularly chewy. They are less cake-y, to be sure. They are soft and fluffy and absolutely DELIGHTFUL, but not chewy. Be sure to not overcook them though or they will dry out. They look a little raw when the first come out, but leaving them sit for 10 minutes on the tray to cool works out well (you can even leave them a little longer... which I did by accident... it was fine). Then DO let them cool completely before trying to eat. The flavor is much better the second day, but letting them sit in a sealed container for a few hours gets the job done if no one wants to wait.

Anyway, they were quickly scarfed down, so I made a full batch two days later because a bunch of family people were coming, and everyone loves cookies! They were just as amazing the second time, and didn't last long.

Final verdict: DELICIOUS! I ate so many that I knew making them again would be dangerous because I couldn't control myself. The spicing is perfect, and the pumpkin taste is subtle. They are not chewy, but the fluffy, airy, wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture was fine by me too. And everyone else. I would definitely add them to my cookie rotation for the fall!

Chewy pumpkin chocolate chips cookies:
(as adapted from : http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/)

Makes 18 cookies

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tbsp pumpkin puree (I used Libby's from the can stuff)
1 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (or split it with raisins, which I did the second time for my mom)

In a bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugars, adding in vanilla extract and pumpkin once until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients (the pumpkin/sugar/butter mixture) into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until combined and uniform. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate started to melt a little bit, but it was ok. Pop the whole cookie dough into the fridge for about an hour (necessary step!). The original post says you can keep it in the fridge for 3 days, but I didn't test that, so I don't know.

Preheat the oven 350F. Once it finishes preheating, line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it into balls, about 2 Tbsp at a time. Flatten out the cookies to a little thicker than your final desired thickness. They really don't spread out while baking. Let them bake for 8-10 minutes (mine took 10). They will look underbaked, but that's a good thing. Don't let them dry out in the oven!

Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack. Let them sit for at least an hour before digging in. It's difficult, but try. They stay good for about a week in a sealed container on the counter. The flavor is stronger on day two, and the texture is a little softer and chewier after the rest in the container for a little.

Enjoy! I will be trying another pumpkin cookie soon I hope that looks a little chewier in the pictures. We'll see!

-Emily