Preheat and prepare: Set your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. While the oven warms, the kitchen will begin to smell faintly of vanilla and spice, a promise of what's to come.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, egg, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and a deep, warm orange colour, with no streaks of egg white remaining. The aroma of pumpkin and vanilla will start to fill the air.

Add the dry ingredients: Tip in the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Fold everything together with a wooden spoon until the oats are thoroughly coated and the dough looks thick and slightly sticky, with a rustic, speckled appearance from the spices.

Fold in the extras: Add the raisins and chopped nuts, if using, and stir just until they are evenly distributed. You'll see the dark flecks of dried fruit and the pale chunks of nuts scattered throughout the orange dough.

Shape the cookies: Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop rounded mounds of dough onto the prepared baking tray, leaving about 5cm between each one. Gently flatten each mound with the back of a spoon until they are about 1.5cm thick. The dough will feel soft and a little tacky to the touch.

Bake to golden perfection: Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges turn a deep golden brown and the tops feel firm when lightly pressed. A faint, nutty scent of toasted oats and pumpkin spice will tell you they're nearly ready.

Cool and set: Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes. They will be soft and fragile straight out of the oven, but as they cool, they firm up beautifully. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, where they will develop a slightly crisp exterior and a tender, chewy centre.