Craving Pumpkin

I think its the cold weather here in New England that has me craving pumpkin. Or those fabulous pumpkin cookies I picked up a few weeks ago when I wandered through the Central Park Pumpkin Festival. They were almost cake like, soft with a bit of spice to them. So, after some internet searching, I decided to attempt to recreate my own version this afternoon. Armed with a few ideas, and plenty of past experiences, I ad-libbed my first baking recipe! I needed that good feeling today, the smell of fresh baked goods in the oven, and the warm moist cookies taste fabulous. I think next time I'll up the spices a bit, add more nutmeg and ginger, perhaps some ground cloves too. But for this time around, they are just what I was looking for.


Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinimon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinamon
1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup all purpose flour
Two or three handfuls chopped pecans

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and spices. Mix until thoroughly combined, making sure to scape down sides of the bowl. Add flour and oatmeal, mix until just combined. Stir in chopped nuts. Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cook at 350 until browned, about 10-12 minutes.