Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Update:
**I had a few people comment on this recipe and say that their cookies didn't turn out. I updated and re-tested the recipe. You can find it here.**

I think the shipment of Libby's canned pumpkin took longer to get to our area. I started seeing pumpkin recipes on blogs wayyy before we had any. About two weeks ago it finally arrived.



Libby's is the best. It really, really is. It has a brighter orange color and less water than other canned pumpkin - at least I think so. I didn't use Libby's last year in the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and it was a huge mistake. The pumpkin pie just wasn't the same. At least I learned a valuable lesson.

Do you want to hear a memory I have of canned pumpkin? Okay.
Well, whenever my school would have a canned food drive, I would ask my mom to give me some cans so I could take them into school and donate them. Mom would always give me cans of pumpkin. I never really thought anything of it until now.
I can picture the organizers of the canned food drive handing out cans to homeless people. Can you imagine getting handed a can of pumpkin?



I hear the canned pumpkin shortage is over, but I dunno if I believe it. I'm scared.
I think I'm going to stock up and buy cans and cans of pumpkin. I bought three, but that wasn't enough. I've already gone through it all.



The first thing I baked were these Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were pretty fabulous, I'm not going to lie.

Here's what they have going for them:
1. Browned butter (love!)
2. A mixture of "crumbs" that you stir into the cookies and it makes them chewy. My inspiration was this. The crumbs are a mixture of dried milk, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cornstarch.
3. PUMPKIN
4. Spices
5. Chocolate chips
6. Toasted pecans



Yay! I want to make these all over again. If anyone tries this recipe, let me know. I liked these pumpkin cookies because they weren't all puffy and cakey (not that there's anything wrong with that) and were crisp, yet soft and chewy. Now I'll probably experiment more with those crumbs in other cookies and baked goods. I have a lot of dried milk left. Dried milk isn't cheap! Who knew?!

That's all for today. Thank you for stopping by. Happy fall baking.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Recipe
1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup dried milk
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar + 3/4 cup, divided use
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Heat oven to 250 degrees F.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until butter foams and turns golden brown. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted 2 tablespoons butter, dried milk, graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch until well incorporated. Place crumbs on a small cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes or until very light golden brown and toasted; set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

Place pumpkin in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of liquid evaporates from pumpkin.

Place remaining 3/4 cup sugar and egg in bowl with browned butter; mix together using a mixer on medium high speed, for 3-4 minutes, or until mixture is well combined and fluffy; beat in pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour until just combined. Stir in milk-graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and pecans until combined.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen cookies