PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 6 Tablespoons (86g) pumpkin puree (see note)* 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few extra for the tops Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and blotted pumpkin until smooth. Set aside. Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Chilling the dough is imperative for this recipe. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. Using the back of a spoon, slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls. (Without doing so, the cookies may not spread.) Bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies will look very soft in the center. Remove from the oven. If you find that your cookies didn’t spread much at all, flatten them out with the back of a spoon when you take them out of the oven. If desired, press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. This is only for looks! Cool cookies on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The longer the cookies cool, the even better they taste! The flavor gets stronger and the texture becomes chewier. I usually let them sit, uncovered, for several hours before serving. Chewiness and pumpkin flavor are even stronger on day 2. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.