With Christmas approaching, I have been searching for a good ginger cookie recipe. Gingerbread is an essential element of Christmas baking, and I wanted to find a cookie that embodies that flavor. My friend Carolyn provided me with this delicious ginger cookie recipe that I will now be adding to my holiday baking rotation.

These ginger cookies are quite easy to make. When I first dropped the balls of dough on the cookie sheet, I wondered how they could possibly end up flat. Since the cookies flatten out quite a bit during baking, it’s good to leave about 2 inches between the balls of dough. The cookies are quite soft when they first come out of the oven, so it helps to leave them on the cookie sheet to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

The consistency of the resulting cookie is perfect. It’s crisp, but not crunchy. The top of the cookie is beautifully crackled, but the inside is still somewhat soft.

Ginger Cookies

Yields 4 dozen cookies

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and shortening on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses and vanilla.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Roll dough into tsp-sized round balls.
6. Roll dough balls in sugar.
7. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Pumpkin is the quintessential fall ingredient. This recently discovered pumpkin chocolate chip recipe has quickly become my go-to fall dessert and has received rave reviews from all who have tried it. I?ve noticed that the cookies seem to taste better the day after baking. They?re especially tasty with a cup of tea!

Having only recently discovered my love of pumpkin baked goods, I was somewhat taken aback by the appearance and smell of the canned pumpkin and was initially skeptical as to whether the cookies would be edible. The cookie dough has a distinct orangey cast, and only starts to smell like a cookie batter when the spice/flour mixture is added.

Don?t hesitate to add more pumpkin if the dough seems at all dry or not pumpkin-y enough for your liking. I?ve easily added up to an additional ? cup to a batch. Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. My recipe differs from the original only in that I added more cinnamon and more chocolate chips, in addition to the extra pumpkin.

It?s worth noting that these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies freeze well. Drop cookies on cookie sheets (line sheets with wax paper for easier removal) and freeze for about an hour. Remove the dough from the cookie sheet and store in freezer bag. When you want freshly-baked cookies, pop the frozen dough on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 1-2 minutes more than your typical baking time.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the Boston Globe

Makes about 3-4 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I add more if the batter seems dry)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (or a little less) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat just until blended.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
6. Drop the batter by heaping teaspoons 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.