The Pumpkin Chip cookie is by far one of my favorite treats. I first stumbled on it when I was in Utah at a grocery store called Macys. Yes, just like the department store only this place was an actual grocery store. A couple friends of mine were so kind to send me a plate of Macys Pumpkin Chip Cookies after I left. I have tried many recipes through the years with no such luck. They all came out too rich, too gummy, too wet, too cakey, not enough cakeiness. After a while I pretty much gave up. When I saw the picture on Joy the baker I decided to pull out the can of pumpkin that has been patiently sitting in the pantry and try it. All it took was one bite and I was satisfied. I had finally found the recipe.

The recipe calls to drop the dough using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop but that amount produced enormous cookies. Next time I will try my 2 tablespoon scoop. I did not have nutmeg to grate either so I used ground nutmeg instead.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips, or any chip you like such as mini chips, butterscotch or both.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together in a medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and light in color. Stir in the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Fold in the dry ingredients until all the flour is incorporated. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have an ice cream scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar (optional). The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Adapted from the Big Fat Cookie cookbook.