Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Posted by Erin Wilburn / 8 comments » / cookies, pumpkin

If there’s a will, there’s a way.  If I can find something new to put pumpkin in, by golly I’ll try it.  These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles have been in the back of my mind for many autumn seasons, but always seemed to get pushed aside.  Then for some reason this year, a bunch of other bloggers seemed to be making them to.  So I figured it was high time for me to finally get around to it too.

In my opinion, I think I might like these better than the original Snickerdoodle.  As you might know, when you add pumpkin to a cookie (like in these Pumpkin Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies), it tends to make them puff up a bit.  In these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, that was perfect.  It created a puffy, but chewy cookie.  These were like eating little pillows of pumpkin & cinnamon goodness!  The pumpkin flavor is not heavily pronounced, but more of a hint.  If you’re wondering what the big flakes are, it’s just large pieces of cinnamon.  After flattening, before baking, I sprinkled these with a bit of cinnamon sugar from my McCormick grinder.  I think it gave these some extra pop!  These are just perfect for any fall gathering!  Or, perfect to bring to a new mother as she brings  home her own little pumpkin.  I brought these over to my cousin, when we went to visit her new baby!

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Yield: 3 dozen

Prep Time: 25 min + 1 hr chill time

Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

COOKIES:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3/4 cup pure unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

ROLLING SUGAR:
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Directions:

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into liquid mixture a little at a time just until incorporated.

Cover dough with plastic and chill at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). Mix rolling sugar ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoons) or a large spoon to scoop out dough and roll into balls. Use your hands to roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and make sure they're coated really well. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a glass with a nice, flat bottom to dip in sugar and flatten the balls.

Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes or so, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

TIP: *Store in an airtight container. These cookies freeze well too. Place them in freezer zip bag and remove from freezer when the craving hits.

from Recipe Girl, originally adapted from dylnz.com