Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin (Mom uses pureed squash)

1/2 cup shortening (Mom uses 3/8 cup canola oil)

1 tablespoon grated orange peel (Mom omits this)

2 cups all-purpose flour* (Mom uses 1 1/3 cups brown rice flour and 2/3 cup soy flour for GF cookies. I've used Red Mills One-For-One GF flour. Your preferred brand should work fine. It's a very forgiving recipe.)

(*If you use self-rising flour, omit the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mom uses SRF unless she's making GF cookies because Dad can't have baking powder.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins (Mom omits this)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom omits this)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Mom actually just puts three chips on top of each cookie, but I prefer more!)

Heat oven to 375*F.

Recipe: Mix wet ingredients, sugar, and orange peel. Add dry ingredients except raisins, nuts, and/or chocolate chips. Mix. Add raisins, nuts, and/or chocolate chips. Stir.

Mom: Mix everything except chocolate chips in the bowl.

Recipe: Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8-10 minutes. Immediately remove and cool.

Mom: Roll small balls of dough and press gently flat. Top with three chocolate chips each. Bake. Cool on wire racks.

Store between layers of wax paper.