Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

Okay, so it is 93 degrees and humid as all get out here in Florida and yet somehow it still feels like fall.  I love this time of year!  The stores are already full of fall merchandise and it has me in full pumpkin mode.  I even have the pumpkin spice plug ins in place in the house already!  Look at these awesome pumpkin spice M&Ms I found at Target.  The cashier said they can't keep them in stock.  Guess I'm not the only one on the pumpkin band wagon.

I saw these and immediately thought they needed to be in a cookie.  So, basically I tossed them into my "perfect chocolate chip cookie" batter, added some espresso and pumpkin pie spice and voila!  pumpkin spice latte cookies.  Very yum and spicy and Fall!  BTW, these cookies are really tasty dunked in a cup of coffee.  But then aren't they all?

 

 

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE COOKIES

Yield = 24

 
3/4C butter
1/4C shortening
3/4C brown sugar
3/4C sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/4 C flour
2tbl cornstarch
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
2tsp vanilla

1tbl espresso powder

2tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2C pumpkin spice M&Ms

1C chocolate chips, semi sweet

1/2C chocolate chips, 60% (bitter sweet--I use Ghirardelli)
 
1.  In a separate bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, espresso powder and pumpkin pie spice.

2.  In mixer bowl, cream together butter, shortening and sugars.

3.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Be sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally.

4.  Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5.  Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.

6.  Scoop dough into large golf ball sized balls.  I use a medium sized ice cream scoop for uniformity.

7.  Place the dough balls in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.  Sometimes I freeze half the batch for a later use.

8.  Place the dough balls on a lined or greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes.

9.  After two minutes carefully move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
 
Enjoy!