Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Step 1: First things first, let's get that oven ready! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). While it's heating up, give your cookie sheets a little greasing.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, grab your shortening and white sugar. Cream them together until they're nice and fluffy. This is where we build that lovely cookie structure.
- Step 3: Next, beat in your egg until it's well combined. Then, stir in that beautiful canned pumpkin and the vanilla extract. The batter will start looking wonderfully autumnal now!
- Step 4: Now, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually mix these dry ingredients into your creamed pumpkin mixture. It's important to mix them in gradually so you don't get flour everywhere!
- Step 5: Time for the best part – stir in those chopped walnuts (if you're using them) and, of course, the glorious semisweet chocolate chips. Gently fold them in so they're evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Step 6: Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough onto your prepared cookie sheets. Leave a little space between them as they'll spread a bit while baking.
- Step 7: Pop those beauties into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they're just lightly brown on top. You want them soft and chewy on the inside, so don't overbake!
- Step 8: Once they're done, carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. This step is crucial for getting that perfect cookie texture.
Notes
Feeling creative? These cookies are super versatile! You can:
* Swap the nuts: Pecans are a fantastic alternative to walnuts if that's what you have on hand.
* Add spices: A pinch of ground ginger or cloves can add even more warm spice complexity.
* White chocolate chips: For a different flavor profile, try white chocolate chips instead of semisweet.
* A touch of maple: For an extra fall flair, you could try adding a tablespoon of pure maple syrup for a hint of maple flavor, but be mindful it might make the dough a bit wetter. Here are a few of my tried-and-true tips to make these cookies absolutely perfect every time:
* Don't overmix the dough: Once you add the flour, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
* Use pure pumpkin puree: Make sure you're using 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar.
* Room temperature ingredients: While not strictly necessary for this recipe, using room temperature eggs and ensuring your shortening isn't rock hard will make creaming easier.
* Prep ahead: You can mix the dough and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before scooping and baking. This is a great way to have cookie dough ready whenever a craving strikes!
* Swap the nuts: Pecans are a fantastic alternative to walnuts if that's what you have on hand.
* Add spices: A pinch of ground ginger or cloves can add even more warm spice complexity.
* White chocolate chips: For a different flavor profile, try white chocolate chips instead of semisweet.
* A touch of maple: For an extra fall flair, you could try adding a tablespoon of pure maple syrup for a hint of maple flavor, but be mindful it might make the dough a bit wetter. Here are a few of my tried-and-true tips to make these cookies absolutely perfect every time:
* Don't overmix the dough: Once you add the flour, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
* Use pure pumpkin puree: Make sure you're using 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar.
* Room temperature ingredients: While not strictly necessary for this recipe, using room temperature eggs and ensuring your shortening isn't rock hard will make creaming easier.
* Prep ahead: You can mix the dough and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before scooping and baking. This is a great way to have cookie dough ready whenever a craving strikes!