In search of the perfect pumpkin cookie…..

I’ve gotten pretty good at creating muffin recipes, but I always need to follow a recipe when making cookies.  I have my favorite standby recipes for oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies, but the times I’ve tried to venture out and try my own creations in cookie making…..I’m never completely satisfied.  Baking (unlike cooking) is an exact science. 

So the other night while reading through tweets & blogs, I found that I was continually craving pumpkin.  It’s just that time of year!  And while not brave enough (yet) to make from fresh pumpkin, I had 2 cans of Whole Food brand (365) pumpkin just calling me from my pantry.  I can’t wait to make my pumpkin muffins, but Sunday night I wanted to try to find a pumpkin cookie recipe that sound good to me.  I wanted a chewy cookie, but one that is also chock full raisins and walnuts. 

As I started looking through the various recipes, I realized that there wasn’t one recipe that sounded like what I was looking for.  This happens a lot.  So I wrote down 2 separate recipes side by side to compare ingredients.  Then I decide to google “how to create a cookie recipe.”  When going through the time and effort this time, I wanted to make sure the cookie turned out exactly the way I wanted it. 

And I wanted chewy, not cakey.  I wanted all the spices of a gingersnap, but still with the pumpkin.  I was surprised at how many pumpkin cookie recipes there are out there that don’t have the spices I wanted to use….cinammon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. 

After an hour of research, I had written out what I felt was going to be a great pumpkin cookie recipe.  I was excited as I headed to the kitchen to pull out my ingredients!  After mixing, measuring and baking, I have to say the cookies turned out GREAT! 

I have two adjustments I want to make for the next batch and before sharing the recipe, but let’s just say they are addicting enough that I can’t keep my hands out of them after eating one.  And normally I am really good about moderating myself.  They’re just delicious!! 

Next time I make them I want to use more oats and less flour so that they are comparable in texture to my oatmeal raisin cookies.  I also want to melt the butter which is what I always do when cookie making.  They spread and are just perfectly chewy.  This is the one time I decided to believe all the other cookie baking tips out there.  I creamed softened butter with the honey granules and eggs.    I really believe this made a difference in their overall texture.  They were more puffy than spread out and chewy.  Not cakey…definitely moist, but since I always melt my butter and I always get a nice spreaded out, chewy cookie, then that is what I’ll try next and see if I’m right.  I’ll report back when I do. 

They’re also fairly healthy since I use freshly ground whole wheat flour and honey granules instead of sugar.  I feel good about my kids eating these cookies.  Even my husband liked them….and he usually can’t be persuaded to eat anything orange.  He likes my pumpkin bread, so I told him to think of them as bites of my pumpkin bread.  He finds them as addicting as I do!