Recipe- Delightfully Delicious (Vegan) Pumpkin Cookies

With autumn in full swing, there is nothing like a nice, strong espresso, soy chai or spiced cider and ANYTHING pumpkin flavored. On my quest to adopting a vegan diet, I went to my local bookstore and found a copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I flipped through the glossy pages while in the aisle, and while salivating, I decided I HAD to purchase this book. I mean, I've been whipping up some dinners for Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vengeance, which were rad, so I knew these cookies would have to be Ah-mazing. Also, it's research! I bake cookies overnight at a local bakery and wanted to provide a vegan cookie for all the veg-heads like me. However, these vegan creations were de-veganized with cream cheese icing. Ok, enough of my rambling; here is the amazingly outstanding recipe that Moskowitz and Romero whipped up.

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oat flour (make your own by whirring rolled oats in a food processor)

2 Tbs. corn starch

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

A handful of shelled pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

**Just a side note, I usually do 1/2 tsp. of the cloves (because I love using cloves and the flavor it adds) and adding the pumpkin seeds really pulls this cookie together**

1. First, reduce the pumpkin. Place it in a saucepan over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Keep the heat low enough so that it doesn't boil, but it should appear to be steaming. STIR OFTEN. After about 30 minutes, spoon the pumpkin into a liquid measuring cup to check on how much it has reduced. It should be down to around 2/3 cup at this point. Return the pumpkin to pot to cook until it has reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool completely.

**The importance of this step is crucial. This gives the cookie a firmer texture, which you want. If this step is not done, you will be left with a fluffy, cakey kind of cookie which would disappoint any cookie lover.**

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3.In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the cooled pumpkin and vanilla.

**My hand mixer broke before I attempted these little sinfully delicious treats, so I used my hands to mix. You'll get dirty, but this works just fine.**

4. Sift in all remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Spoon onto cookie sheets in rounded tablespoons of dough, flattening the tops with your hand. Arrange a few pumpkin seeds in the centers, if you like.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool.

BAM! Delicious, 100% vegan cookies to add to your jar and, if you're in the giving mood, impress your fellow employees.