September rolls around and every year, I get seasonally sad. Arizona is still wildly hot but I want FALL. I want the house to smel
l like autumn, and don't tell my husband, but I turn the thermostat just a bit cooler so I can sneak on a long sleeve shirt. 110 degrees F ain't got nothing on my faux fall.
Step 1- adjust thermostat
Step 2- make these cookies
Step 3- enjoy cookies with a blanket and Gilmore girls.
Now for the recipe. I fiddled with this one a few times to really perfect the chewy, not cakey texture and to nail the subtle pumpkin flavor.
The key is the browned butter, the spices and the bake temperature. These make all the difference and take the cookie to a whole other level.
DISCARD PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes: 2 dozen cookies
Prep time: 30 minutes
Wait time: 24 hours
Bake time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 c butter (browned)
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 c pumpkin purée
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c discard (cold)
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2-2 1/2 c mini chocolates chips
INSTRUCTIONS:
preheat a skillet on the stove and cut your butter into small cube. Heat the butter in the skillet until golden brown. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer (or any mixing bowl) and set aside for 20 minutes to cool down.
while the butter cools, measure all the dry ingredients (flour, corn starch, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg) into a separate bowl and whisk together. you can also separate out your egg yolks.
once the butter is cooled (doesn't need to be cold, just not super hot), beat in the sugars and pumpkin, once well incorporated add in the egg yolks one at a time then the vanilla and discard.
now pour in the dry ingredients and mix until just barely incorporated and add in the chocolate chips. remember not to mix for too long or the cookies might end up tough. the dough should be very soft and quite sticky.
cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of an hour, ideally 24 hours.
24 hours is enough time to ferment down some of the gluten, and it deepens the flavor. if you can only wait an hour, you will still get a great cookie, just not the benefits of fermentation.
when you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F
This is when you get to choose how you want the cookie to be baked. every oven bakes differently so you'll need to watch them after the 5 minute mark.
if you like soft, gooey cookies bake them for 7-8 minutes. if you can touch the top of the cookie and it only leaves a slight indent they're baked enough to hold their shape.
if you like your cookie more structured but still soft, bake for 9-11 minutes.
if you like crunchy cookies go for 12-15 minutes.
Enjoy with milk, or hot chocolate and you'll be transported to a cabin in the woods with fallen leaves, and crisp autumn air.