Cinnamon Pumpkin Oatmeal (Breakfast) Cookies

This is one of those cookies that is chock full of good things--to the extent that you are not sure what to call them. Cinnamon Pumpkin Oatmeal Oat Bran Pecan Breakfast Cookies with Cinnamon Chips?

I invented them because I love cookies. Much like muffin people are just cake lovers in disguise, I wanted a cookie that could be my morning cookie, the muffin cookie, if you will. I wanted a cookie that my kids and I could grab while running out the door without feeling too horrendously guilty. Yes they have a fair amount of sugar--but so do muffins in case you haven't looked lately. I remain defiantly happy with these cookies. And if you think you could like them less sweet, by all means reduce the sugar. Or try them for dessert.

As soon as I saw that A Southern Grace--one of my favorite blogs--was holding a cinnamon blogging event, I knew these would be my entry. So I am submitting these cookies to A Cinnamon Celebration--they have the required minimum 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (actually they have more) and the cinnamon chips, while full of horrible stuff for you I know, pretty much send them over the edge. If you like cinnamon.


Laura's Cinnamon Pumpkin Oatmeal (Breakfast) Cookies

1 cup (126 g) AP flour
3/8 cup (1/4 cup plus 2 T) (64 g) whole grain teff flour
1 1/4 t cinnamon (I used Vietnamese cassia, but Chinese will do to--do not use Mexican, or true cinnamon, which has a different flavor)
1 1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t allspice
scant 1/2 t baking soda
heaping 1/2 t salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup (186 g) packed pumpkin
1 cup light brown sugar
2 t vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup (76 g) oat bran
approximately 1 cup chopped pecans (98 g)
1 cup cinnamon chips

Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. When it is light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Then beat in the pumpkin. Mix in the flour mixture, and then the oat bran and rolled oats. Fold in the pecans and cinnamon chips.

Place plastic wrap firmly over the cookie dough and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand (the dough will be sticky). Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are set and slightly firm. These cookies will stay moist and chewy but truly are best when eaten warm.