Pumpkin Cookies

Well, it is officially autumn, and has been for over two weeks, so it is about time we break out the pumpkin around here!

I thought I would choose a very special recipe for my first pumpkin baking experiment of the season:

Now, you are probably thinking “Becky, a child wrote this!  You don’t have any kids!”  And I would say to you, you are definitely correct!  But this recipe was written by a child named Chris…about 30 years ago!  Yes, my dear husband wrote this recipe (I’m pretty sure he copied it, but wrote it none the less) when he was in elementary school. 

When we were moving our stuff to our new house, we came across a bin full of things my mother-in-law kept from Chris’ childhood.  Among the toys and tiny clothes, were different school papers and one of them was this recipe for Pumpkin Cookies.   

Also in the bin was a book Chris wrote about a whale named Willy (no relation to Free Willy) who thought he was a mouse and a book about himself, where he states that his favorite TV show is General Hospital, his favorite book is Playboy, and he likes to eat Nerds because they give him bad gas and he can “smell out his mom and dad.”  Yes, Chris was “that kid.”  I can only imagine my mother and father-in-law’s embarrassment at back to school night…

Back to the cookies!  While “Mix together in a big bowl” is essentially what you do, I’ve added a few more directions to my recipe below. 

Step #4 “Then EAT! yum-yum-yum”  is clearly a very important step!

Like most of the pumpkin cookies I have tried to make, these were very cakey…almost like muffin tops instead of cookies.  If anyone has a recipe for a chewy, cookie-like pumpkin cookie, please share!  

Texture aside, these cookies were tasty!  I added a little more spice by bumping up the cinnamon and adding some nutmeg and cloves.  If you are feeling adventurous, try making some of the cream cheese frosting from this post and turning these into pumpkin whoopie pies!  If I had any cream cheese in the house, I totally would have done it myself!

Cake-like or not, these cookies are a delicious treat and the perfect way to get going on some fall baking!  If you love pumpkin, you’ll love these!

Pumpkin Cookies

adapted from my husband’s childhood recipe

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Print this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 stick on butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of an electic mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
4.  Add pumpkin and continue to mix until fully incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
7. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. 
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. 
9. Remove to a rack to cool.