Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anytime is pumpkin time - if you make these cookies with it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin
5 cups flour
1 tab. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
crumbled toffee bits

-Mix butter and shortening in mixer with both sugars, until creamed together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in pumpkin.

-Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, soda and vanilla extract to pumpkin mixture and gently stir together until smooth on low speed of mixer. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir. Chill dough for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

-Place dough by heaping tablespoons on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until just starting to golden around edges. Remove and let cool.

-Melt bittersweet chocolate in microwave oven for about 1 minute. Stir and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cooled cookies from a spoon or place in a plastic bag with a small hole cut in the corner and squeeze chocolate ribbons over cookies. Sprinkle tops of cookies with toffee bits. Makes about 50 cookies.

Place cookie dough by spoonfuls on parchment paper or silpad.

Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate and sprinkle with toffee bits or turbinado sugar.