Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A friend found this recipe and emailed it to me. Looking at the recipe, I thought it would taste too rich but it was great for fall and thanksgiving cookies. The pumpkin is just spicy enough to off set the sweetness of the chocolate chips.
Sometimes, I lightly frost the cookies with a tub of whipped cream cheese frosting and put a piece of candy corn in the center of every cookie. At Paula's suggestion, I use ghiardelli milk chocolate chips.

Recipe courtesy George Duran

Show:
Food Network Specials
Episode:
Ham on Turkey

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar 1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.