CHEWY Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

You guys - this is it. I found the perfect recipe for deliciously chewy and never cakey pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Let me reiterate - I FOUND the recipe. I did not create this masterpiece, although I wish I could take credit for it. Jessica from How Sweet It Is baked 14 batches of cookies to get to this version, just so we could all enjoy these cookies.

So you remember the pumpkin butter I shared with you yesterday? This is how we are going to use it. (Besides the other ways I mentioned.)



Recipe: CHEWY Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is
Yield: 42 small cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 (heaping) tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin butter, store bought or homemade (please use homemade!)
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/4 cup cinnamon chips)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Mix the flour, salt, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stir in the pumpkin butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix until a dough forms - it will look crumbly at times, but I promise it will all come together. When the dough is almost together, fold in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate the dough for (at least) 30 minutes (and make sure to put back in the fridge between batches). Form into small ~1-inch diameter balls, using either a small cookie scoop, or your hands. Flatten slightly, and then bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and slightly golden, and the center still looks a bit uncooked. Let cool on the sheet for 3 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack.

Here's my side by side comparison of dough balls (left) versus slightly flattened dough balls (right):

Dough Balls                               Slightly Flattened

  

Dough Balls                               Slightly Flattened

Perfection

8k training: 4 mile easy run

I took off the whole weekend as well as Monday from working out, but got back into it yesterday. I went for a 4 mile easy run, and I think this was the first time in a while that I ran the whole thing without stopping. I don't usually stop because I have to, but because I'm forced to by running on streets and getting stopped by red light at intersections. Even though I probably would have been fine for any of my runs lately, it's still nice knowing that I can run without stopping when there are no lights in my way.

The run itself felt pretty good. I started out feeling a bit wheezy, maybe because it was humid. The temperature felt pretty perfect, it was nice to get to wear shorts and a t-shirt again.

Splits: (average pace, pace in last 1/2 mile)
0.50 - 5:15 (10:30)
1.00 - 10:24 (10:24, 10:18) last mile 10:24
1.50 - 15:43 (10:29, 10:38)
2.00 - 20:58 (10:29, 10:30) last mile 10:34
2.51 - 26:07 (10:24, 10:06)
3.00 - 31:06 (10:22, 10:10) last mile 10:08
3.50 - 36:14 (10:21, 10:16)
4.00 - 41:05 (10:16, 9:42) last mile 9:59
Total: 4.06 in 41:34 - 10:14/mile average pace

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

Let me tell you about one of the best things you can make with pumpkin - PUMPKIN BUTTER. It may look unassuming, but it has such rich flavor, and can be used in a multitude of ways. You basically take regular canned pumpkin, jazz it up with a bunch of spices and sweeteners, and then cook it down until it's thick and spreadable, and tastes like pumpkin pie. Now that you have it, what do you do with it? Well the first thing you do is spread it on some toast. But after that, the possibilities are endless. You can spoon some into your greek yogurt or oatmeal, the same way you would do with jam or honey. You can also incorporate it into your recipes. Have a favorite pumpkin bread recipe? Replace the oil with pumpkin butter. This can be done with your favorite mix as well. It will really amp up the pumpkin flavor, while still retaining the fluffy texture that comes from using oil. You can very easily scale this recipe up or down (the measurements don't need to be exact), so it's great to either use up that giant can of pumpkin that's been sitting in the back of your cabinet for months, or to use up the extra pumpkin left from making something else.

Anyway, I've been making this pumpkin butter for years. Try it out - it's so good!
* Stay tuned - I have a recipe coming soon that uses this pumpkin butter :)

Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Butter
From: Libby's Pumpkin
Yield: ~2 cups

Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes, or until thickened. Store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

All of the ingredients in the pot

Stirred up - prior to cooking

It's ready when a spoon makes an impression that stays, and it looks more caramel than orange