Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

I have the best mom in the whole world. After reading my rant about Safeway not carrying canned pumpkin, she showed up at my door with 3 cans of the delicious puree! How great is she? (p.s. Safeway totally has canned pumpkin now...I have evidence below). So of course, now that I am stocked with pumpkin, and October is quickly coming to a close (seriously, where did this month go?), it is time for another pumpkin recipe.

Here's the thing about pumpkin: it is a delicious food, but to me, I can never imagine doing anything with it besides plain ol' pumpkin pie. But pumpkin continually surprises me with the flavors that it pairs with. Pumpkin and chocolate had me skeptical enough, but pumpkin and butterscotch? That sounded like pure witchcraft -- and these cookies surely put a spell on me!

Now, as soon as the cookies came out of the oven, they were beautiful. Puffy, cakey, and oozing with butterscotch. I had to try one (ok three...) immediately, and Suzie walks into the kitchen, sees me double-fisting these cookies and all I could do was look at her sheepishly and offer her one. She took half a cookie, tasted it, experienced the same euphoria that I did, and then grabbed for the other half. These were some yummy cookies! I had thought that I would give these cookies to our neighbors as a thank you present...but after trying them, I knew that there was a time to be generous and a time to be selfish. Cookies this good bring out my selfish side: I was NOT sharing.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

From Joy the Baker

Makes about 20 cookies

• 2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c. butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 deg F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.
5. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it.
6. Mix in the butterscotch chips.
7. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop mounds of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spaced at least 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until the tops feel firm.
9. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (or eat immediately because they are SO good!)