Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Soft, moist, and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies that taste like pumpkin pie.

It seems like pumpkin is the official flavor of fall.  When things start cooling down out come the pumpkin lattes, seasonal pumpkin beers, and every blog is full of pumpkin recipes.  Living in Hawaii, we don't get much of a change of seasons.  The temperature cools slightly from highs of 80s to highs of 70s and it rains more.  I'm not complaining I love the weather here but I don't always have the same fall food interests when the rest of the U.S. does.  I did have a can of pumpkin puree in my pantry and decided to use it in cookies.

I had the great idea of adding pumpkin to oatmeal raisin cookies.  I wanted them to be very pumpkiny so I used the whole can of pumpkin in a basic oatmeal raisin cookie recipe (from my Better Homes and Garden cook book).  The dough was much wetter than a usual oatmeal cookie dough but it kept it's shape when dropped onto a cookie sheet.  They didn't puff or spread at all and were difficult to tell if they were done, but they tasted amazing.  They were chewy and very tender and moist with great pumpkin flavor.  Even my last few cookies a week later were still soft and moist.  Even though they did not look perfect I think these were a success.

Ingredients:
(modified from BHG)

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I mixed dark and light)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-15oz can of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Then add the baking soda, salt, and spices mixing well.

Stir in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin until combined then add the flour and mix well.

Lastly stir in the oatmeal and raisins.

Drop by the teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes until set.

Let cool on pan for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies.

Enjoy.