Crisp and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

For years and years, I've wished for a pumpkin cookie that was more chewy than cakey. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do love the favorite pumpkin cookies, but they're very soft and cakey and frankly not very cookie-like.
 Then I happened upon a blog called Life Made Simple, and apparently she and I had the same wish! Thankfully, she figured out how to make a cookie and not a cakey! Who knew that using melted butter and corn starch along with limiting the eggs to just one yolk would do the trick? BRILLIANT!
So, thank you, Natalie from LMS, for solving this mystery.
This will now be my go-to pumpkin cookie recipe!


1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbs. pumpkin puree
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice


 In a large mixing bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the melted butter and sugars for 2 minutes on high. Add the vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and egg yolk, mix on low until just combined.
 In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. With mixing speed on low, gradually combine with the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Scoop balls of dough using a standard size cookie scoop and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. The cookies will be slightly puffy but they will flatten as the cool. The longer you bake them the more crispy they will become. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, about 5 additional minutes.

Tips:
The original recipe included chocolate chips, but I prefer to leave them out. It always seems to me chocolate takes over when it's paired with another flavor, and I wanted pumpkin to be the star here. To be fair, I tried the recipe with mini chocolate chips and with pecans. I still prefer just plain pumpkin!
She also uses bread flour in the original recipe but stated that AP flour was also fine. Since I didn't have any bread flour on hand, I went with it and they turned out great!