Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

                        from Cupcake Punk

Hmmmm. Apparently I shouldn't wait so long to post about a recipe, because when I do, I sometimes kind of forget my thoughts on the recipe. Which doesn't make for the most useful of recipe-postings.

Case in point: These Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. I think I made them about three weeks ago. And boy were they... ummm... cookie-ish! Like, they were SO cookie-ish that I was like, Wow: Cookies. And the pumpkin was so very... pumpkiny. And you'd think the pecans would be pecany, but they were chocolate-chippy if you can believe that! Oh wait. No. My bad, the chocolate chips were what was so chocolate-chippy. And also, I mean, talk about round and slightly lumpy-ish like, in that way that cookies are? Totally the case. Again, perfect examples of the existence of cookies.

Yeah.

And what further complicates the issue when I wait too long to blog about a dessert recipe is the fact that I will pretty much eat ANYTHING if it's sweet. So although I *DO* remember plowing through a good dozen of these by myself over the course of no more than a couple of days, given my love of sugary desserts, that means absolutely nothing. They could've tasted like sugar-covered dookie, and I would've been like, "Dookie me up some more dookie, o sugar-covered dookie!"

Like, this weekend I bought this GLORIOUS vegan oreo cookie cupcake at Nature's Bin as a treat. This thing was like sugar from heaven. Seriously: it was like 2/3 frosting, 1/3 cake. Which is pretty much exactly the way I love cake. And by that I mean Screw cake--I really just love frosting.

Anyways, I decided to chow down on this cupcake on Friday night, and seriously: I was a little bit concerned that I was going to die. Of sugar. Like my death certificate would read Cause of death: Sugar:

ME (eating cupcake): moan

N-A: What's the matter?

ME: I think this is the sugariest thing I've ever eaten. In my whole life.

N-A: Um. Then stop eating it.

ME: But it's SOOOOOO good. (taking another bite)

N-A: stares at me as though I am ridiculous

ME: Blorf. Oh my god.

N-A: Seriously. Stop eating it.

ME: I don't want to waste it though. 'Cause it's sooooo good. (shoveling in another bite and leaving one last bite remaining) Dammit. (moaning again) I can't do it. I think if I try to eat it I will die. Like actually die. Or throw up. Ungh.

N-A: rolling eyes

So yeah. Things I can vouch for with these cookies: They had sugar in them. They were cookie-ish. And I ate at least a dozen in two days. Which means they were either good or terrible. So if you like cookie-ish cookies, you'll love these. Cookies!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. Earth Balance, room temperature


• 1 c. packed brown sugar


• 1 c. granulated sugar


• 1 c. pumpkin puree


• 1 T. apple butter or apple sauce


• 1 t. vanilla extract


• 2 c. all-purpose flour


• 1-1/3 c. quick or old-fashioned oats


• 1 t. baking soda


• 1 t. ground cinnamon


• 1 t. ground cardamom (I omitted this 'cause I didn't have any)


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 c. chocolate chips


• 1/2 c. chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Beat the Earth Balance and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the apple butter/sauce, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for another 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon and whisk together. Slowly add it to the butter mixture until just combined, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom once or twice to ensure even mixing.

Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for a minute or two to set, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

(recipe from Cupcake Punk)