Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

I have to admit, I hate Halloween. It's my least favorite holiday, the only redeeming quality about this day is all the candy I have an excuse to eat. Seeing people in ridiculous costumes is entertaining too I guess. But ever since I was a little kid, I've never liked it. HOWEVER. This doesn't mean I didn't take this opportunity to bake some pumpkin treats for work tomorrow.

I searched all over for the best looking pumpkin cookie recipe and this one from Joy the Baker seemed to be the best bet. I tweaked it a bit, because I wanted the pumpkin spice taste to be stronger, I added some ground ginger and nutmeg. Whenever I try out new recipes, I like to follow the directions step by step, because I'm so afraid of messing up. But for this one, I kind of just added whatever I wanted. These cookies are very cakelike and pillowy soft, especially right out of the oven. I wish the pumpkin taste was stronger, but I think you can just add more pumpkin puree. Next time! Because I will definitely be using this recipe again!

Recipe makes approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I used Trader Joe's)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can add any kind you want to this recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil, which is what I had at home.

Stir all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt).

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until the consistency is smooth and a light yellow color. Use those arm muscles! Or you can use a handmixer too I guess. Mix in oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until well blended.

Add pumpkin mixture to your dry ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheet set about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread. Bake the cookies for 16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool them on the baking rack and use a wide spatula to transfer the cookies.

Store the cookies in a tightly covered container after they're cool. They should last for a few days, but why wait that long when you can eat them right away?

Check out Joy the Baker's blog! I love her recipes and her posts are so personal, like you're in the kitchen with her.

I hope you guys try out this recipe and tell me how it goes! Have a safe Halloween! :)

October Favorites

It's that time of month again! Is anyone else kind of freaking out that it's November next month? What did I even do this year?? Oh, work. How could I forget? 

Let's get on with the products.

THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment

Yes, I have the THIRTYMUD mask in another favorites post, but I had to! This mask saved my skin on all our flights.  I had to go through one layover each on the way to Barcelona and on the way back home, so my skin was super dry and parched from all the recycled air on the planes. Just a thin layer of this was enough to keep my skin from going completely wonky. I won't get into the details again, but you can read the last favorites post from September here. 

Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Cologne

Picked this baby up on my trip and I've been using it every day since. It's not a scent I normally go for, it's very fresh, fruity (not sweet though), and a bit woody. Not floral in the slightest, which is what all my perfumes smell like. The fragrance is very distinct. I loved it at first sniff. You can wear this scent all year round, but it's definitely more of a daytime fragrance. Go to your nearest Jo Malone counter and check this out!

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - Sultry

An oldie but a goodie. It's finally Fall, so I've been wearing darker lip colors. I actually think Sultry is a very good dupe for the Kylie Jenner lip trend lately. This color is a darker pink, with some brown undertones. You can see how it looks on me in my Revlon Balms post. I've been loving mattes lately, and this one is so comfortable on the lips and not drying at all. Can't even feel it and it's long lasting too.

Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner - Enchantment

I've been pairing my Sultry matte balm with this lip liner from Rimmel. I never thought I would be a lip liner girl, but since using this product, I've noticed how lining your lips and filling them in makes your lips so much fuller. My lips are very thin and I have a small mouth, so anything helps. The color is a perfect match to the Revlon balm as well. The lip liner goes on smoothly, isn't drying and slightly waxy, so the color stays put. Besides you can't beat the price point at $5.99.

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara

This was the only mascara I brought with me on my two and half week trip. It survived the sweat and sun of Barcelona and Rome, and the wind and rain of Amsterdam and Berlin. The only issue I have with this mascara is the wand, it's too big, so it's very easy to get it on your eyelids. But it's an easy fix. This stuff doesn't budge at all, and I never have any problems with smudging or flaking under my eyes.

City Maps 2Go - Travel Guide and Offline App

This app is a lifesaver. It helped us out so much on the trip. The amazing part about this app is that it doesn't require data or WIFI, you can use it anywhere and it'll locate you on the map. For anyone traveling, download this app right now, it's free too! I used this every single day, it helped me find landmarks, restaurants, bars, everything.

What have your favorites been this month? Let me know down in the comments! :)