Pumpkin Spice-Kissed Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

This Fall marks the return of the candy corn, as well as the harvest-themed version of Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses. I tasted them for the first time last year and have now tracked down the Pumpkin Spice ones at Target. These Hershey's Kisses are not easy to find because they are seasonal, not sold everywhere and sell out very quickly. 

The package is Halloween-themed, with brown and orange webby pattern.These little foil wrappings are bronzy orange with wavy little brown stripes. The flags are brown and say pumpkin spice and are filled with a very yummy cream that is pumkin pie flavored. It is sugary and spicy and everything nice-y. The taste, though sweet, has a great harvest spice flavor - it’s mostly nutmeg with a little cinnamon!

I loved them so much that I decided to incorporate them into my chocolate-chip oat cookies and really get excited for this beautiful Fall weather. Here is an easy recipe that I have recently made for a crowd. They turned out so delicious and everyone just loved them, so I wanted to share the yum! Try these cookies out and let me know how you like them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• half a bag of chopped Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, pumkin spice, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.  Yield: about 7 dozen.

Darien resident Janine Vairo is the founder of PartyStyle Box. She can be reached at partystylebox@gmail.com. For more information visit www.partystylebox.com.