I knew yesterday was going to be a pretty good day when a colleague offered me a cookie as soon as I stepped out of my truck in the newspaper parking lot.

She had baked a bunch of these pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies for the office and thought I’d like to try one. She promised they were really easy to make, but when I saw the recipe I was floored. It only calls for three ingredients: a boxed spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin and half of a bag of chocolate chips — no eggs and no fat (outside the chocolate chips).

The texture of the cookie was super-moist, almost like a tiny cake rather than a cookie. So if you like soft cookies, this recipe is for you. These would be fantastic with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

The next time you have to make something for a party, bake sale or just a treat, whip up a batch of these!

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen

My co-worker, Erin Stanley, wrote: “I’ve found over the years that if you put these into a container even within a few hours after they’re cool, you’ll have a VERY sticky mess and they won’t be fun to eat. So I always bake these in the evening, and leave them sitting out on a paper towel overnight, THEN I’ll put them in a container or on a plate & cover with plastic wrap in the morning.”

1 spice cake mix
1 (15-oz.) can 100 percent pure pumpkin
1/2 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together cake mix and pumpkin until thoroughly combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick cookie sheet. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.