Frugal Foodie Mama: Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles

Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust in these Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles...



Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust in these Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles





Once upon a time, I turned my nose up at the thought of pairing pumpkin with chocolate. Typically I live by the cardinal rule of "don't knock it until you have tried it" when it comes to food and recipes, but I just knew I would absolutely not like pumpkin and chocolate together...



That is until I finally tried it. ;)
And from that first taste, I was hooked, my friends.



Come November I will be attending my very first in-person food blogger conference, Mixed. I went with a smaller, more intimate gathering for my first blogger conference so as not to overwhelm me and send my anxiety into high gear. 



(Plus, I am slightly stoked that the conference is being held at the same resort that many scenes of Dirty Dancing were filmed at. Yes, I am a child of the 80's. ;) )



I am sure some of you all are wondering what in the world a food blogger conference and my new found love for pumpkin and chocolate have to do with each other, right? Well, the good folks at Dixie Crystals are not only one of the many amazing sponsors of Mixed this year, but they are also hosting a pre-conference baking contest for the attendees! And three of us will earn a free ticket to Mixed. You all know that I just had to enter. ;)



My entry are these perfect for fall, amazingly delicious Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles...




Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust in these Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles







Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles via thefrugalfoodiemama.com - Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust




Typical snickerdoodles are rolled in regular white sugar and cinnamon. But for these snickerdoodles I went with the Dixie Crystals Gold 'N Natural Turbinado Sugar instead of the usual granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough in. 



The result?  A spiced, sugary crust that paired perfectly with the soft, pillowy cookies- a delicious contrast in textures!  And the flavors in this cookies? Cinnamon, a hint of sweet pumpkin, with the rich taste of the dark chocolate in each bite... Divine, folks.




Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust in these Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles







Yield: 2 dozen
Author:

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles

Soft, pillowy cookies with a hint of sweet pumpkin & chunks of dark chocolate are baked within a sugary spiced crust in these Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles.

prep time: 10 min cook time: 9 min total time: 19 min

ingredients:

  • 1 box of your favorite yellow cake mix
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of dark chocolate baking chunks or pieces
  • 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Gold 'N Natural Turbinado Sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

instructions:

How to cook Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet(s) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix, flour, cream of tartar, & pumpkin pie spice. Add in the pumpkin puree, canola oil, and eggs. Mix until just combined. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.
  3. Mix together the turbinado sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  4. Roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and then roll completely into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet and then flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
  5. **Tip- refrigerate the dough between baking batches. As the dough chills, it will become even easier to handle. If you find that initially the cookie dough is a little too sticky to handle, lightly flour your hands and then roll the dough into balls.
  6. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  8. Enjoy!
Created using The Recipes Generator





These Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chunk Snickerdoodles are guaranteed to disappear very quickly! They certainly are in my house. ;)




Are you a fan of pumpkin paired with chocolate? If you haven't tried the two flavors together yet, will you promise me that at the very least you will bake these cookies and give it a go? :)




A big thanks to the folks at Dixie Crystals for being a sponsor of Mixed this year, and for hosting such a fun baking contest! 





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