Spiced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
I’m convinced there is something deeply embedded in my subconscious as a result of having a mid-September birthday, because I have forever loved everything about fall. Cozy sweaters. The blaze of color in the trees. The flicker of a fireplace — or better yet, the roar of a campfire. A slightly boozy hot cocoa or mulled cider. Leaves crunching underfoot. The smell of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg wafting from the kitchen. And absolutely anything pumpkin.
Sweet, savory, traditional spices or unconventional, I’m down. Bread, pie, cake and muffins, obviously, but also soup, curry, lasagna (yes, really!), stuffed or mashed. In fact, my affinity for Thanksgiving may be solely due to pumpkin pie, and I can’t help but question the role of the jack-o’-lantern in my abiding adoration of Halloween.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any time at all, you know that I also love cookies. It should be no surprise then that I have been on what feels like a lifelong quest for a pumpkin cookie with the texture of a cookie rather than a teacake.
At long last, success!
It took a good bit of trial and error — two ‘edible but not right’ attempts, one definitive ‘fail,’ oh so much research, and one last tweak bake just for good measure. It was well worth it, because I have finally achieved the cookie I was after. Tender and chewy with crispy edges, ample spice, and totally an absolutely YUMMY depth of flavor…even at a week old!
Enjoy!
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: The key to this cookie’s chewy vs cakey texture is extracting as much of the liquid from the pumpkin puree as humanly possible. So, do not cut corners on that step — it really does take draining and blotting and pressing (oh my!) and several paper towels. (A clean, flour sack type kitchen towel will work also if you’d rather not impact your carbon footprint over a batch of cookies.)
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this bake. (These are affiliate links.)
King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Unbleached Parchment Sheets from SMARTAKE
#30 Portion Scoop from Saebye
Spiced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
makes about 30 cookies approximately 3”
INGREDIENTS
2 cups good all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cups granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1 cup pumpkin puree, see instructions
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the pumpkin puree in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, and allow drain for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once most of the liquid has drained, gently press the pumpkin with paper towels to absorb more. Spoon the pumpkin out onto 2-3 layers of paper towels and press the surface firmly with paper towels. Continue this process, replacing the wet paper towels as needed, until the pumpkin stops releasing obvious moisture and the texture resembles a dense paste. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and spices thoroughly and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the pumpkin, egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium until smooth.
Add the flour mixture in thirds and mix on low just until incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Give the dough a couple of final stirs with a rubber spatula to ensure no flour streaks remain.
(If the dough is difficult to handle, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before scooping.) Roll the dough into 2-tablespoon balls (I use a #30 scoop), roll the balls in sugar and place on the baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and slightly golden brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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