Pumpkin White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Perhaps at some point I will get sick of eating/baking with pumpkin, consuming it sauteed fresh or canned and in cookies. Not yet, though. I’ve got at least one more recipe back-stocked and someday Grace will get around to posting her amazing pumpkin hummus recipe, and I’ll have to direct y’all there, too. Let this and every food bloggers delicious-if-trite, all-hail-pumpkin posts serve as a testament to the diversity of America’s most celebrated squash.

So round one of these cookies took place last week at 10:30 at night, because thank god for having friends who like to make cookies live nearby, right?? Kirsten and Mary came over, had these babies in the oven in 15 minutes tops and, 15 later, we were burning our tongues on just-baked-enough pumpkin cookies.

Round two fulfilled a lot more taste buds. Pumpkin cookies were what will likely become the first of many office snacks. Devoured by a mid-afternoon meeting, these had to have scored me at least a few bonus points. Right? Maybe? Work Hard, Bake Hard should probably be my new motto and, if someone would like to have this printed on an apron for me for Christmas, I would be delighted to wear it. I’ll bake you cookies.

PUMPKIN WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

(via My Baking Addiction)

2 cups flour
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 butter; softened

1 cup applesauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries; roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; combine until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cherries.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.