Autumn Spice Cutout Cookies
Perhaps it’s being born in mid-September that has embedded such a deep and lasting love of autumn in me. The second that first bit of chill hits the air, I am all in for cozy sweaters, fuzzy socks (because I’ve yet to find the perfect slippers), turning leaves, the sound of geese journeying south, and the oh-so familiar magical combo of warm spices. They are the foundation of my favorite tea, the reason I love carrot cake more than anyone I know, what makes me down for anything with the words molasses or pumpkin in them any time, and why it was difficult to decide which recipe(s) I was going to bake first. I’m currently in a bit of denial that I might not have time for all of them before the season is over — and may have to put a few on hold until next year. The horror! But sometimes, I guess we have to make tough choices.
So, I decided to begin with a rolled, cut-out cookie.
The guiding thought was to ease into the season — so, light on both the spice and the texture. (If you’re looking for that latte-level punch, you’ll want to increase the spices by 1.5 or 2.) Because I was planning on cookie shapes that would be forgiving of a bit more spread (this oak leaf and this maple leaf — and an acorn I’ve had for decades), I added an extra yolk and a bit of shortening to my go-to recipe. The result was a soft and buttery, gently spiced cookie which gave me exactly the cozy, homey, comfort vibes I was craving. They’ve made the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea, a fuzzy throw and a good book.
Enjoy!
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this bake. (These are affiliate links.)
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
USA Half Sheet Pan, set of 2
SMARTAKE Unbleached Parchment Sheets
Judee’s Complete Meringue Powder Mix
Autumn Spice Cutout Cookies
makes 24 cookies (rolled 1/4” thick)
INGREDIENTS
3 cups good all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg + I yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Royal icing (Find my GO-TO REFERENCE: Royal Icing post here)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium-large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.
Add the egg, yolk and extracts and mix until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low/medium-low until incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick on a sheet of parchment paper. Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet. Use a cookie cutter to cut desired shape(s) close together. Remove the bits of dough from between the shapes, and add it to the remaining dough. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cut-out shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Stack the cookie sheets carefully and freeze for 1 hour. (I place small risers in the corners of the sheet in order to stack without squishing the cookies.)
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Remove one cookie sheet at a time from the freezer, remove the top layer of parchment and space the frozen cookies about 2 inches apart. (If all the cookies won’t fit, put the extras back into the freezer for the next batch.)
Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the cookies look just done and a little golden around the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat steps 8-10 until all cookies have been baked.
Let cookies cool for at least 1 hour or overnight before decorating.
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