How to make Dr. Reilly’s pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Principal shares popular treat with students for winter break

Principal Ellen Reilly prepares for the annual faculty bake off. It’s one of many events over the holidays where Reilly’s baking is in high demand. (Photo courtesy of Principal Ellen Reilly)

Giving has always been a big part of the holiday season for Principal Ellen Reilly, and this year she’s sharing her famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Reilly has been baking ever since she was a teenager. While she has always been very passionate about it, Reilly rarely eats the treats she makes.
“I like to give, always. Whenever I bake, I give away,” Reilly said. “It’s really just about somebody [saying], ‘Wow that’s really good.’”
One of Reilly’s most popular treats is her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Her mom originally introduced it to her, but she was reluctant to bake them. But when Reilly’s mom added almonds to the cookies, making them even more unappealing, Reilly decided to take over and make the cookies herself.
Now Reilly spends the holiday season making the cookies for family and friends. Whether it’s by sending them off to her nieces and nephew in college, baking them for holiday parties or bringing them into work, Reilly has plenty of places to take her famous cookies.
“It’s simple,” Reilly said. Just follow the recipe below and you will have your own family and friends raving over your delicious creation.

Ingredients:
½ cup of butter
1 ½ cup of sugar
1 egg
1 cup of cooked or canned pumpkin
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of baking powder
2 ½ cup of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
½ tsp of salt
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cinnamon
Chocolate chips

How to make:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° and grease cookie sheet
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar in one bowl
Step 3: Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla in bowl with butter and sugar and beat together
Step 4: Sift flour. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Step 5: Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture and mix together
Step 6: Mix chocolate chips into bowl
Step 7: Spread small balls of cookie dough evenly on cookie sheet
Step 8: Bake in the oven for 15 minutes