Super Soft Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although Halloween and Thanksgiving are over, pumpkin is still all the rage. I still can't get enough of it. I made pumpkin pie last night (and proceeded to eat about a third of it, ugh), I've been eating pumpkin butter like it's going out of style, and I'm addicted to these pumpkin cookies. They're so soft and cakey and light - which is both good and bad. Good because they're delicious and have a great texture, but bad because I could literally eat a dozen at a time, they feel so light! And you don't need to bust out the Kitchenaid mixer for these, either - a whisk and some enthusiasm (or a hand mixer) will get the job done. I seem to always have leftover pureed pumpkin in my fridge, and these cookies are the perfect way to use up leftover pumpkin. 

Super Soft Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Some the Wiser

yields 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips

1. Position racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter (I used my hand mixer, but you can use a whisk instead). Beat/whisk in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt - mix to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips. 
3. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes - I found that it was easier to deal with when it was a bit firmer and colder. 
4. Using a cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes (I baked two sheets at a time), until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for a few minutes, then transfer cookies directly to cooling rack.