The Cookie Buffet: Pumpkin Bread Bites

I've never attempted a pumpkin cookie before, even though autumn is my favorite season, and nothing screams "Fall" more loudly than pumpkin-flavored goodies. Most of the time, I content myself with pumpkin pie, but I knew from the beginning that I'd definitely want to include pumpkin cookies in the cookie buffet at the shower.  I found a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe on the FoodNetwork online courtesy of George Duran. I tweaked the recipe a significant amount, changing the amount of sugar, spice, and pumpkin.

I also decided to omit the chocolate chips in favor of butterscotch chips. At first, it sounds a little strange, I know. I chose to do this mainly because I already had chocolate chip cookies for the buffet, but in retrospect, I loved how they turned out with the butterscotch chips. Honestly, even though I am a little curious how they'd be with chocolate, they were so good with the butterscotch that I wouldn't want to make them any other way.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 C packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-16oz can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3 C AP flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice (or ground cloves depending on your tastebuds)
• Half of a 12oz bag of butterscotch chips
• 1 C chopped pecans

h

1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
3.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat on vanilla and pumpkin puree
4.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
5.  Add to the batter in 3 batches, mixing until just combined
6.  Mix in the chips and nuts
7.  Drop onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with a #60 scoop
8.  Bake for about 14 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned around the edges
9.  Cool on sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely

Yield: about 8 dozen

These cookies have a texture very similar to pumpkin bread. They are soft and moist, and totally a must for any fan of pumpkin. I love the butterscotch chips here, but reviews online also seemed to like the chocolate chips, so I don't think you can go wrong either way. One thought I had was to add the cinnamon swirl chips instead of butterscotch or chocolate, but I think I'll stick with butterscotch because I have a feeling that cinnamon chips would be overwhelming.