I can’t seem to let well enough alone. Just when I think I’ve discovered my chocolate chip cookie recipe, another one appears on my computer screen, whispering its siren song. My spouse is irritated because the only recipe he wants is from his Alpha-Bakery booklet from 1987. But I need more variety in my baked goods, which is how these voluptuous pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies came into my life.
Half a cup of leftover pumpkin purée and a mix of two of my favorite cookie recipes inspired these. I fell in love with the chunky chocolate cherry oatmeal cookies while testing recipes for The Kitchn Cookbook. They were rich, chewy, and robust enough to pass for a dinner without being overly crisp or cakey. The best thing was that no stand mixer was necessary; all that was needed was a big bowl and a wooden spoon.
But it was only a passing infatuation, and I went on with my cookie-making life, which leads me to my present passion, a copycat recipe for the chocolate chip walnut cookies from NYC’s Levain Bakery. I knew I had to try these cookies after hearing so much about how enormous, tall, and delicious they were.
I studied several recipes before settling on this one from Chez Cately Lou through Brown Eyed Baker. There were a few factors that drew me to this recipe: First, the recipe calls for bread flour, which I like because I happen to have a surplus of bread flour right now. You also slap huge fistfuls of dough into the pan, no measuring or shaping into balls necessary. (“Rustic” is my given name!) Finally, and here’s the kicker, things improve dramatically the next day. I enjoy freshly baked cookies just as much as the rest of you, but my favorite time to consume cookies is while waiting for my morning coffee to boil. So, if the remaining cookies genuinely taste better overnight, I’m in big danger come 7 a.m.
So, what happens when you combine the greatest parts of those two recipes and add pumpkin to the mix? Autumn is fantastic, in my opinion! I had great hopes for these cookies, but they truly exceeded my expectations. They have a very delicate feel while being rather substantial. Also, every time I took a taste, I couldn’t help but think of marshmallows, namely Rice Krispy treats.
I’m very thrilled to share this recipe with you. But, whatever you do, don’t think of these cookies as a pumpkin purée garbage bin; they’re so much more. Indeed, these are worth opening the can for and deciding what to do with the remainder afterwards!
INGREDIENTS
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1 big gently beaten egg
- 4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1.5 cup bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled or old-fashioned oats (not instant)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- a quarter teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chocolate chunks or chips, semisweet
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds. (This is just enough time to liquify the majority of the butter without heating it.) To finish melting, stir with a fork. (If you don’t have a microwave, heat on the stovetop until almost melted but not quite. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk to cool.)
- In a large mixing basin, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. With a wooden spoon, combine the ingredients until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. Mix in the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until almost incorporated, with some flour visible. Incorporate the chocolate bits.
- Place a fistful of dough (3 1/2 ounces) on a big plate or sheet pan; the mounds should be towering and craggy. (You should end up with 8 or 9 dough balls.) Freeze for 1 hour or place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to line a baking pan. Place half of the dough balls on the baking sheet, allowing about 2 inches between them. Bake the cookies for 16 to 20 minutes, or until light golden-brown but still a bit soft on top (err on the side of underdone; cookies will continue to cook while cooling). Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack or big plate to thoroughly set and develop their flavors. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- These cookies store well for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
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