My Aunt’s Famous Pumpkin Cookies!
My aunt makes pumpkin cookies that are totally to die for, jam-packed with crunchy walnuts and soft, dark chocolate chips. So tightly connected to my childhood, I credit them as one of the reasons for my food passion. If the bright orange blobs weren’t on the table after our Thanksgiving feast, she would never hear the end of it. But they aren’t just a seasonal treat. These things are so craveable that I spent two weeks this summer trying to find canned pumpkin. *note: the above picture is not of my aunt 
*
Sadly, due of the failure of a pumpkin crop last year, I was out of luck. . . Until now! Continuing my somewhat lost Sunday night cookie tradition, I made cookies with this person again!
I realize that they look a little funny, but the lumps are crucial. Those little spiky bits bake into little toasty bits that add to the multi-textured experience. Just trust me, okay?
They don’t spread much; they crack. Therein lies the beauty! (I’ve been reading Hamlet for far too long.) It’s so easy to pull out the chocolate chips and walnuts from a cookie, without anyone noticing. Or, your could break off a cookie bite along one of the fault lines; nobody would notice. 
If I haven’t convinced you to make these yet, I’ll acknowledge that there are many cookies recipes in the world. However, these cookies are a tradition. I ate them as a little girl. I gave them to my teachers as “thank-yous.” I sent them with my brother, off to college. I made them on Sunday with my sunshine. And now, I really want to pass them on to you.
My Aunt’s Famous Pumpkin Cookies
Important: This is the ONLY recipe in which I will use shortening. That being said, I use plam oil instead of hydrogenated oil. Palm oil shortening has no trans fat, and only half the saturated fat of coconut oil. Still, being the healthy little person that I am, I plan to experiment with this recipe in the future to health-ify. Until then, make it this way!
4 c flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
1 1/2 cans of pumpkin puree (15 oz can)
2 c chocolate chips
2 c chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla
Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Cream shortening throughly. Gradually beat in sugar and pumpkin. Blend until smooth. Blend in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips, walnuts and vanilla. Drop by large spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Do not over-bake these, it will ruin them! Actually, they’re excellent when slightly under-baked.
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These look amazing. I’ll have to try them this winter. Your pictures are really great.
Thanks! The camera cooperated on that day.
Wow!! Those look so amazing! I need to try that recipe. Love the pictures!
Thank you. Your pizza post was really funny too.
This sound so delicious! I made pumpkin cookies a few weeks ago and they didn’t turn out so well, I”m sure these are far better. I’ll have to try them
Report back with your results, please!
You are so pretty. I envy your delicious food and cooking-filled life
Thank you.
those do look really delcious!!! i love pumpkin!!!!
Me too! I want some pumpkin pudding or something now.
These look amazing! It’s so sweet that you made them with your boyfriend
You’re back, Wei-Wei! Thank you. Making cookies is definitely one of our hobbies, haha.
Wow, Sami, and from a different aunt. What a great use for pumpkin.
Take care, Aunt Peggy
I know aunt Peggy. I shared some of your jams with the Kilifers while they were at our house for Thanksgiving.
I love pumpkin anything, and these cookies sound amazing! As always, your photos are beautiful, Sami!
Yum!!!! These look so so good! On one of the other blogs I follow, he made pumpkin cookies with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts which looked totally amazing! Have you ever made them with white chocolate?
I’ve never used white chocolate. In my opinion, the darker the better.
I do like dark chocolate too… especially with orange zest or cayenne pepper.
But white chocolate and pumpkin just sounds divine to me. I guess that means I’ll have to try them both. Haha…
Somehow I missed these at Grandma’s house. Which Aunt has been holding out on me? I might have to make them myself. Keep up the good work!
Aunt Cari makes them for Thanksgiving! I’m sorry that you haven’t had one. They are totally fantastic.
If you need me to mail you some, that can be arranged. 
These look so yummy! I’m reading Hamlet in school now too! Hahah
And the pumpkin muffins were only okay, I prefer the plain cinnamon sugar donut muffins
with love and cupcakes,
Cookteen
These cookies are seriously one of my absolute favorites.
I’m craving them!
Aww, you and your boyfriend are adorable! These look delicious! I wonder if I could sub butter for the shortening?
I made a note about that in the last part of the post.
If you want to experiment, be my guest! I haven’t tried using butter myself . . . yet!
Yum! These look delish!
PS – I know what you mean about shortening! In some cookies they seem like the only thing that will give them that cakey/dense/soft texture! I always make sure to get the palm oil version…
Where do you find the palm oil shortening? I will never use regular shortening ever! I sub butter for my pie crust that used to be half butter half shortening and it’s equally as delicious if I do say so myself. I’d like to try these cookies and take out half of the butter/shortening and replace it with plain greek yogurt. I’ll have to let you know how that turns out. Having never had them the original way, I am sure I’ll like them but not so sure YOU would if you know what I mean.
I bought my palm oil shortening at Whole Foods. I’d love to know how your version turns out; take pictures!
I just ate one of these famous cookies!