Apple & Pumpkin Spice Chip Cookes

Last fall, I started experimenting with my favorite holiday cookie recipe. By adding extra cinnamon and replacing the cranberries in the original recipe with chopped apple, I gave them more of a fall taste (see them here). This year, I got a little more courageous and switched up the recipe even more to make these delicious cookies that have been described as Autumn exploding in your mouth.

What really makes these cookies are the pumpkin pie spice chips that I discovered over at The Cupcake Project! I did not shape mine into cute chips like she did, but just rolled them flat onto parchment paper and cut them into little squares after they cooled. I also used maple syrup in place of the corn syrup and it worked out great! I made these the night before (you can make them days before, they will keep for quite awhile) For the chips you will need:

• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 3T Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2T Butter (at room temp)
• 2T Light Corn Syrup (I used Maple Syrup)
• 1/4t Vanilla Extract

Mix all ingredients and press out flat on parchment paper and bake your blob at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely and then use a butcher knife or pizza cutter to cut out your squares. Save the little crumbs...they are awesome in coffee or to top these cookies or muffins!
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Now for the cookies! (Ingredients/Instructions at the bottom of this post)
Start by mixing your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon) in a large mixing bowl (I like to throw them all in the sifter (except oats) and then whisk in the oats. In a separate bowl (on your mixer if you have one) beat the butter & sugars until well blended. Then, beat in eggs one at a time and add the syrup and vanilla. Then slowly mix in the dry ingredients as shown below.

I mixed in a 15oz can of pumpkin (although fresh is best!) at this point instead of with the wet ingredients because...well because I forgot I was adding pumpkin until this point. Once the pumpkin is blended well, add a bit more flour a little at a time (up to a 1/2 cup) to thicken the batter. Stir in the white chocolate chips and diced apple (with the mixer is fine). Then carefully stir in the pumpkin pie spice chips by hand.

Now you are ready to drop your batter onto a cookie sheet! You can roll these into balls to get a "neater" looking cookie, but with a baby I found keeping my hands free was much better so I used two spoons to drop them onto the cookie sheet and it worked very well. Keep them spaced about 2" apart to allow for spreading. Top with cinnamon or more pumpkin pie spice!

Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees (until the edges start looking golden brown. Don't let them get too dark, the batter is already a golden brown because of the pumpkin). Note that the chips will melt onto the pan if they are touching it. They didn't burn and came off easily, but you may want to bake them on parchment paper if you tend to have sticking issues with your cookie sheets.

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Apple & Pumpkin Spice Chip Fall Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2-2.5C. Flour
• 1tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1C. Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2tsp Vanilla
• 1C. White Chocolate Chips
• 1-2 Cups Pumpkin Pie Spice Chips (your preference)
• 1C. Butter (Softened)
• 15oz Can of Pumpkin
• 3C. Oats (I've always used quick oats)
• 1/2tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2C. Granulated Sugar
• 1T Pure Maple Syrup (or honey)
• 1 medium-large apple, peeled and diced. I used a large Honeycrisp, and had extra.
• Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice (for topping)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift 2 Cups of flour, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon into a medium bowl
3. Stir in oats and set aside
4. Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy
5. Beat in eggs one at a time
6. Add maple syrup (or honey) and vanilla
7. Add flour mixture until well combined 
8. Blend in pumpkin 
9. Mix in up to a half cup of flour a little at a time as needed until batter is thickened
10. Stir in apple and white chocolate
11. Carefully stir in pumpkin pie spice chips by hand
12. Drop onto a cookie sheet about 2" apart
13. Sprinkle tops with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
14. Bake 10-13 minutes
15. Enjoy!