[VeganMoFo] Day 15: Pumpkin Walnut Puffs

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I hear a lot of chatter about waiting till fall for pumpkin. Personally, I am happy to eat pumpkin every day of my life, but it's extra-special in the fall, and the weather has finally cooled down enough that I feel like it's the right time of year. So, to celebrate, I decided to try to come up with a new pumpkin cookie recipe. I did some research, threw stuff in a bowl, blobbed dough onto cookie trays, and out came these puffs.

I wasn't expecting them to turn out quite so puffy, so I'll be interested to experiment with the chemistry of this cookie concept and see how the texture might change. Personally, I prefer my cookies crisper, but I've noticed that most people seem to prefer "fluffier" cookies, so if you are a fluffy-cookie-preferer, these will be right up your alley :) I brought them to my a cappella rehearsal tonight and they were wildly popular.

Note: I use very generous spoonfuls for spices, so my "1 tsp" is probably more like 1 1/2, and if I make this again I would probably use even more of all the spices than I actually used. So keep that in mind if you're making these, and adjust to your preference.

Yields: about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
1 can pumpkin puree (15oz, about 1 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup soy milk (you can try another plant milk if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin, coconut oil, soy milk, vanilla, and maple syrup). Whisk them together till you've got a nice creamy mixture. Add the spices and mix them in thoroughly. Sift in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir or knead to form your dough. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, stirring or kneading them in so they are well-distributed throughout the dough. Drop fat teaspoonfuls onto baking trays. Bake for 13-15 minutes.