Chewy Pumpkin Cookies With Spiced Sugar Topping
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
30 min
Cook
12 min
Total
42 min
Servings
18
Level
Easy
Bake all 18 cookies at one time and separate them after baking for storage in tightly sealed containers or the freezer. These cookies have a pumpkin pie spice flavor and chewy texture, topped with a spiced sugar mixture and cracks. The insides of the cookies are lighter and crack as they cool.
Texture involves using canned pumpkin puree that has been drained. Cook out half a cup of puree with a fork to a quarter cup to reduce excess moisture that can make pumpkin cookies too cakey. Cream unsalted butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until light and fluffy. Other dry ingredients for the flour mixture include pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and baking powder in equal amounts and salt.
The dough balls are dusted with granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice and arranged 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. The finished cookies will puff in the middle while baking but flatten and wrinkle as they cool. Baked cookies can become soggy if not enough liquid is drained from the pumpkin puree. Drain more liquid from the pumpkin puree until little or no liquid transfers to a paper towel.
Cool the baked cookies on the baking sheet for five minutes, then cool on a wire rack completely. Allow cookies to cool for 15 minutes before serving for optimal texture. Store cooled cookies at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for up to two weeks before serving.
Why we keep this one around
- Bake all 18 cookies at the same time, as the dough doesn't need to rest unless it's overly sticky; save some of the baked cookies for later.
- Cooling cookies lets you store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, as recommended by this recipe,
- to help you determine how many batches of cookies to bake to have on hand for several days without baking more cookies.
- Baked cookies can typically be frozen for up to two weeks. Bakers can freeze smaller batches of cookies for use at other times instead of freezing an entire batch of cookies for one occasion.
- A 10-minute chilling time is suggested for recipes with sticky doughs. Other cookie dough recipes can safely be chilled for up to 10 minutes without changing rolling and baking procedures.
- Producing 18 batches with a 2-tablespoon measure yields cookies of identical size. This is useful for commercial packaging and freezing of cookies.
- Cooling on baking sheets and wire racks ensures ease of storage and additional baking. Cookies will have a distinctive cracked appearance on top.
Ingredients
- •¼ cup granulated white sugar (for the spiced sugar)
- •½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (for the spiced sugar)
- •¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- •1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- •2 egg yolks (at room temperature)
- •2 tsp vanilla
- •½ cup canned pumpkin puree (Libby's works best; dry to about 1/4 cup)
- •1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- •1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- •½ tsp baking soda
- •½ tsp baking powder
- •½ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, mix the granulated white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for the spiced sugar. Set aside.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 3
Spread the canned pumpkin puree on a plate and lightly press with a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. Repeat at least four more times, until the 1/2 cup of pumpkin reduces to about 1/4 cup and hardly any liquid transfers to a paper towel. Set aside.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- 5
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- 6
Add the egg yolks and vanilla, then mix on medium speed for about 1 to 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- 7
Add the dried pumpkin and mix on medium-low speed to combine.
- 8
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined.
- 9
Scoop the dough with a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into balls. If the dough is too sticky, chill it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- 10
Roll the dough balls in the spiced sugar.
- 11
Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, baking about 6 cookies at a time. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, using 12 minutes for chewier centers or 14 minutes for a slightly crispier cookie.
- 12
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
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