Pumpkin Cookies
These pumpkin cookies are spicy, a bit chewy, and just a bit cakey. The sugared pumpkin seeds on the top add an additional texture and crunch. A trick to making these cookies chewy as opposed to cakey is flattening the dough. After you have sprinkled the sugared pumpkin seeds on the top, use the back of a spoon to press the ball of dough into a circle about 1/4" thick. If you prefer a cakey cookie, leave the small mounds of dough as is.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (114g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (210g)
- 1 grade A large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4.3g)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (230g)
- 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour (300g)
- 1 tsp salt (6g)
- 1 tsp baking powder (4g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (2g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (2.3g)
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (1.2g)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (.5g)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (.5g)
For the Topping
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (110g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67g)
- 2 tsp water (5g)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat your oven to 325° for Convection and 350° for standard.2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Add the room temperature butter and both white and brown sugar to the bowl of your mixer. Blend at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, and mix until the egg is completely absorbed.
- Add the pumpkin which should also be at room temperature, and thoroughly combine with the butter/sugar mixture.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Scoop into the batter and using the low speed setting, mix until combined.
- I find it's easy to use a small (1 ounce) ice cream/cookie scoop with the trigger release, but a soup spoon will also work just fine. Sprinkle the top of each mound of dough with a few of the sugared pumpkin seeds, then flatten each, using the back of a spoon. See photo
- Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for 12 to 16 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Once completely cooled, store in a sealed container or zip lock bag.
- This recipe yields about 3 dozen one ounce cookies. If that is more than you need at any one time, scoop out individual cookies onto a baking sheet, place in your freezer, and once frozen store in a freezer strength zip lock bag. These will keep up to 3 months. To bake, place the frozen cookies on a baking sheet, allow to thaw, then proceed as directed above.
For the Pumpkin Seeds
- Add the sugar and pumpkin seeds to a sauté pan, sprinkle with the water. Place over medium heat. As the sugar starts to melt, stir the seeds to coat with the sugar. The sugar will liquefy and then crystalize. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as the little crystals form and harden, pour the sugared seeds onto a sheet of parchment or foil to cool. Sugared seeds may be stored for several weeks in an airtight container.