Cindy's Famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cindy only ever baked once a year and when she did it was to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. During the Halloween/Thanksgiving season, Cindy would stay up until 3am (on a work night) in order to make these cookies. The reason for the all-nighter was not because she was baking hundreds of cookies at a time. It was because Cindy wouldn't start making the cookies until 11:30 at night. Then, at 11:45pm, she'd realize that she needed baking soda or more chips and I'd be forced to throw on a coat over my pajamas and drive to the store. So, the actual baking didn't begin until midnight at the earliest.

The first batch was often burned when she missed the timer going off. Normally, after she placed the cookies in the oven, she distracted herself by playing poker on the computer, talking to her LA friend Jamie on the phone, or browsing eBay. After seeing that the bottoms of the cookies were burnt, she designated those as our cookies and would then begin a new batch for her co-workers and friends. The last couple of years, I actually wound up making the cookies for her. When it came to baking, Cindy felt like everything had to be measured and executed with the utmost perfection. So, what should have only taken a couple of hours always took her four.

In honor of Cindy, I am making those cookies tonight. Here is the recipe in its entirety with some color commentary.

Ingredients:
-->1 16 oz can Pumpkin Mix
[Note from JM: Serious bakers will know that standard cans of pumpkin come in 15 oz. This missing one ounce drove an anal cook like Cindy bonkers. So, to ensure a perfect execution of the recipe, Cindy bought 2 cans (only taking a couple of tablespoons from the second can). Then, she'd Saran Wrap the top of the can and it'd sit in our fridge for 12 months until the next season whereupon we'd toss the bad pumpkin mix in the trash.]
-->2 eggs
-->2 cup sugar
-->1 cup oil
[Note from JM: Another point of annoyance for Cindy was that this recipe did not specify the type of oil. I remember I lied to her and told her that when a recipe does not specify the type of oil, you can assume it means canola oil by default.]
-->4t baking powder
-->4 cup flour
[Note from JM: Each year Cindy would pause for twenty minutes at this point in the recipe and try to deduce whether the flour should be loose in the measuring cup or packed.]
-->2t cinnamon
-->1t salt
-->1t vanilla
-->2t baking soda added to 2t milk
[Note from JM: One year Cindy mixed up baking soda with baking powder resulting in disastrous consequences. It took months for Cindy to forgive herself.]
-->1 bag chocolate chips
[Note from JM: Cindy preferred the Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips as opposed to the semi-sweet.]

Instructions:
Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Combine wet ingredients together in one bowl and all dry ingredients in another. Mix dry into wet a little at a time until well mixed. Add 1 bag chocolate chips. Drop on lightly greased cookie sheet & bake 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!

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P.S. I actually need to reference Cindy's friend Barry B. here because I believe that this is his recipe. I don't think Barry ever knew how much Cindy thought of him when she made these cookies each year. I don't keep in touch with Barry, but if anyone who reads blog this does, let him know that his recipe was put to good use.