Shawn's favorite cookies....aka pumpkin chocolate chippers

     Today is my son's birthday.  He is married and has a child.  It is not like the birthdays we celebrated when he was growing up.  Back then I knew what to get him for his birthday.  Ghostbuster characters, teenage mutant ninja characters, dump trucks and legos.  Life was easy back then.  I asked him earlier in the week what he wanted for his birthday.  His typical reply "I don't need anything, having dinner with the family on Monday will be enough."  Well, that wasn't the correct answer.  After all birthdays only come around every 365 days. 
     As I thought about what I could do for him other than the card, money and dinner we will have for him, I thought it would be nice to make his favorite cookies.  I have been making these cookies since I was 19 years old.  When I was 18 I hopped on an airplane, (for the first time) and flew to New York City.  I would spend the next nine months as a nanny for the Kreiger family.  Besides a lot of good memories I came home with this recipe and it has been a family favorite. 

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with or without vanilla frosting
2 cups shortening (whoa)
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour (wow, that's a lot)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pkg. (12 oz.) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips  (my own addition years ago)
2 cups raisins (the recipe calls for those, but who wants raisins when you can have chocolate)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)  I opt out for the mere reason that some people are allergic to them.
     Cream shortening and sugar.  Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla; beat well.  Stir together flour, next five ingredients, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Add to batter; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips, or raisins, and or nuts.  Drop rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on to greased cookie sheet.  If your cookie sheet is well used like mine, line it with parchment paper.  (works really well)  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

     This is what they look like before baking.  You want them to have golden tips like this picture.  Then you will know they are done.

     For some unknown reason my family will eat every last one of these.  They like soft cookies.  Maybe that is what Paul meant when he said I was going to make my son soft if I kept giving him rides to and from school!  Earlier post in case you missed it.