Cookie Swap: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's that time of year again where everyone is getting ready for the holiday season and going crazy to get those gifts for loved ones.  Although it may be a busy time, there is always one consolation - the delicious treats that people bake this time of the year! That is why, for the second year in a row, I was so excited to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is where food bloggers from all over the world are assigned (at random) three other Food Bloggers to send cookies too.  So every food blogger who participates gets to send and receive delicious cookies from fellow foodies!

Last year, I made Raspberry Ribbons, and this year, I decided to make my husband's famous Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies! As many of you may know, this past January, I got engaged to my best friend, David, and 3 weeks ago, on November 17th, we were married.  Leading up to our wedding though, I was away for a few months straight because of travel that I had to do for my job.  As a result, it made the wedding planning process stressful at times, and I just missed being at home with my Dave.  David also struggled a bit because I was the one who always cooked and baked for him.  However, to surprise me when I came home, David learned to bake and made me these delicious cookies! Since these cookies have a meaning to both myself and David, I decided to share them with others for the cookie swap! Plus, they are really yummy!

 Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
-1 cup shortening
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 to 1 1/4 cups of pumpkin
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-3 cups flour
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-2 teaspoons cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ginger
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon cloves
-1 12oz bag of milk chocolate chips (semi-sweet can work took, but the milk chocolate works really well in these)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together the butter and sugars.  Then add in the 2 eggs.  Once combined, add the vanilla and pumpkin.

Then, slowly add in all of your dry ingredients - the flour, salt, and spices.  Add the milk chocolate chips last until everything is well-combined.

Scoop out spoon full sized balls of dough and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom/edges.  It is sometimes hard to tell if the cookies are done since they are darker in color from the pumpkin, but be careful not to leave them in too long so that they do not burn.  Also, because of the pumpkin, these cookies are meant to be softer and more cakey in texture on the inside. 

Let the cookies cool on a wire rack, or eat up right away! Either way, I hope you enjoy!

A special thanks to Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen for putting together this wonderful event! I'd also like to thank the three food bloggers who sent me delicious cookies too:

Rachel at The Pescetarian and the Pig

Beth at Beth's Blue Plate Special

Ariel at Princess Pea

Thank you for the delicious cookies and enjoy the holiday season! Pin It