Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's really not much to say here...its October and its almost Halloween...so that means get your pumpkin fix in. I blame the delicious sounding, and allegedly delicious tasting, Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks that coworkers and friends rave about this time of year, for forcing me to find other ways to get that pumpkin fix since I don't drink coffee. The solution was one that benefits everyone benefits - pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Anything with chocolate is essentially a WIN in my book but these cookies I swear are healthy (....OK, healthier) - thanks to the use of dark chocolate and whole wheat flour. A few of my coworkers decided the cookies were more cake-like so they would be perfect for whoppie pies filled with a cream cheese frosting. Yep, I will likely make those around Thanksgiving, for the last pumpkin hurrah!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Culinary Institute of America

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup room temperature butter
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted canned pumpkin
2 large eggs at room temperature
l teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup miniature dark chocolate chips (I would actually add a lot more!)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray. Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. Whisk to mix the ingredients together and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes or until very light and smooth. Scrape down the bowl once to blend evenly. You may also mix the butter and brown sugar together by hand until it is very light and smooth.

On medium speed, or by hand, add the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract and blend until well-combined (the mixture may appear curdled or broken, but this is okay), about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down once or twice to blend evenly.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients until just blended, about 2 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and continue to mix until they are evenly distributed in the batter, about 30 seconds.

Use 2 serving spoons to drop batter into mounds (about 2 tablespoons each), 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Cookies will spread when they bake.

Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cookies cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.