Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sunflower Cookies

This is a modification of a cookie recipe by Garrett McCord (contributor for Simply Recipes). In his pumpkin cookies, he calls for dried currants and pumpkin seeds. However, in my resourcefulness, I substituted sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. The oats add a heartiness that is a pleasant departure from most pumpkin cookies, which are usually very muffin-like in texture. The seeds contribute just enough crunch to make things interesting, while not stealing the show from poor Mr. Pumpkin. And the chocolate chips, well, they need no justification.

Ingredients

1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of sunflower seeds (raw)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Beat the margarine and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for another 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cloves and cinnamon and whisk together. Slowly add it to the margarine mixture until just combined, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom once or twice to ensure even mixing.

Fold in the sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for a minute or two to set, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.