Day 2 Goodies

I have never been very good at cookies for some reason and I am beginning to learn that the ingredients you use can change the cookie quite a bit even though they all seem the same. Apparently, even the brand you use can make a big difference. Not necessarily in the way they taste, just the way they look. These have become one of the new favorites in our house and now Kaitlyn is COMPLETELY traumatized because we have to give the cookies away and can't eat them all ourselves. FYI-I used fresh pumpkin that I had left over from our halloween friends.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.