I’ve been hankering for a good pumpkin cookie. I’ve made some in the past, but they were cakey and a little wimpy in flavor. I wanted a cookie, not an unfinished whoopie pie. A crisp cookie. Something to give my classic Toll-House cookie a run for its money. So I wandered around the web and stumbled onto this chick Sally who had gone on a similar journey. Sally says “pumpkin can replace the eggs.” WHAAAA? This was crazy talk. I did a little more googling, and sure enough, a number of vegan sites suggest pumpkin as an egg replacement (1/3c pumpkin puree ~ 1 large egg).

So why reinvent the wheel? I took my classic Toll-House recipe and dropped the egg for some pumpkin. Because it’s pumpkin, I added a dash of classic fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and the like). I had bought some toffee bits on a whim, and they sounded like they might be good in there. But you know what, I tasted the batter after adding the toffee and thought it a tad too sweet, so I tossed in a just a handful of dark chocolate chips to cut the sweet. Genius, if I do say so myself!

These are honest-to-goodness COOKIES. Crisp on the edges, chewy in the center. The pumpkin is subtle, but there. The bitter of the dark chocolate not only tempers the sweetness of the toffee but enhances the earthiness of the pumpkin. The spices are subtle, and besides, cinnamon and chocolate are an ancient pairing. This cookie is worth adding to your fall repertoire.

Pumpkin-Toffee-Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons “baking” spice mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Gently melt the butter. I like to use a 2-cup Pyrex cup in the microwave: 30 seconds @ 50% power a couple of times with a swirl in between, 20 seconds @ 40% power, remove. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pour the butter over the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for about a minute. Scrape the paddle and sides, then let the butter and sugar hang out for about five minutes to better dissolve. Then, beat on medium-low for a couple of minutes until fully mixed. [NOTE: You could probably do this by hand with a wooden spoon and good arm muscles]

Add the pumpkin, mix until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla, mix until fully incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients slowly with mixer on low (I added in three increments), scraping frequently. Don’t overmix! Add the toffee and chocolate. Mix with the mixer about 3 rotations of the bowl — then stop and finish by hand.

Use a cookie scoop (mine is a generous tablespoon — probably about four teaspoons) to place eight scoops on a parchment-line cookie sheet. You need some room for spread. Put ONE cookie sheet in the oven, cook 6 minutes (set the timer!), rotate the pan, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Pull when the cookies look a bit underdone — there will be carryover cooking as you allow them to cool on the cookie sheet before moving to waxed paper on your countertop to fully cool.

Serve with ice cold milk, of course!