Pumpkin cookies are one of the most beloved fall cookies. You put pumpkin cookies into Google search, and you will get about 271,000,000 results. So my thought is they are pretty popular. So I decided I wanted a complete pumpkin taste for my cookies.
Ingredients You Will Need
CANDIED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- 6 TBSP Butter unsalted
- 4 TBSP Sugar white
- 3 TBSP Light brown sugar
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- 2 cup Raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
COOKIE DOUGH
- 2 ¾ cups All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Butter unsalted
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- ½ cup Light brown sugar
- ½ Sugar white
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- 1 Egg
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground ginger
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Candied pumpkin seeds
PUMPKIN ICING
- 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP Pumpkin puree
- ¼ tsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 TBSP Milk
- 2 TBSP Crisco
- 2 TBSP Butter unsalted
Pumpkin Puree
I started with Libby's 100% pumpkin puree for the flavor of my cookie. Libby's 100% pumpkin puree is not pumpkin pie filling, just the pumpkin. So there is a difference between the two. My recipe adds the spices where the pie filling already has some spices incorporated in the mixture. I like to add my spice combinations to my pumpkin cookie; that is why I purchase the 100% pumpkin puree.
Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Decisions, decisions: do I add nuts? I thought no way; I wanted pumpkin seeds. I tossed and turned over whether I wanted roasted or candied for my cookies. There are many recipes for candied pumpkin seeds, and here are a few;
I couldn't find the exact flavor for my candied pumpkin seeds, so I took bits and pieces from a couple of recipes to make my own. Feel free to use mine or one of your own. You might also decide to use roasted pumpkin seeds for some texture in your cookies. You can't go wrong with pumpkin seeds; as long as you don't use raw, they need some baking time before adding them to your cookie.
How to Make Your Own Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Melt the butter and then add the sugars, so the sugars dissolve in the butter. I use a microwave, and you may have to heat it more than once. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Add the pumpkin seeds to the bowl and coat them well. Finally, move them to a parchment-lined sheet pan and spread them out evenly. The sugar will brown, but as they cool, it sticks to the pumpkin seeds.
Making Pumpkin Cookies
I find it easier to weigh all my ingredients and have everything ready before mixing my cookie dough. Then, I add all the dry ingredients into one bowl and run a whisk through to blend.
Mix the cream cheese and the butter for a couple of minutes. Next, add the sugars and mix for another couple of minutes. Now you want to add the egg, vanilla extract, and the pumpkin puree and blend.
Next, gradually add all your dry ingredients. I make sure my mixer is on a low speed, or I get it all over myself. Finally, add the candied pumpkin seeds and mix for 30 seconds—time to cover and chill.
Scoop twelve mounds onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan and bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes.
Please move to a cooling rack after they come out of the oven.
Time to make the icing. Add all the ingredients to a mixer bowl and blend till smooth. After the cookies have completely cooled, take a knife and add a nice layer of icing on top. I finish them off by adding a few candied pumpkin seeds right on top of the icing. PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN!
All About Pumpkin Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
CANDIED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- 6 tablespoon Butter unsalted
- 4 tablespoon Sugar white
- 3 tablespoon Light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 cup Raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
COOKIE DOUGH
- 2 ¾ cups All-purpose flour 330 g
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder 4 g
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- ½ cup Butter unsalted 1 stick room temperature
- ½ cup Light brown sugar 106 g
- ½ Sugar white 99 g
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Candied pumpkin seeds
PUMPKIN ICING
- 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 2 tablespoon Crisco shortening room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Butter unsalted room temperature
Instructions
CANDIED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- Using a bowl that is microwave safe and big enough to hold all the ingredients, melt the butter in a microwave. Add the sugars to the melted butter and mix till the sugar has dissolved. You may need to heat this mixture a little in the microwave to get the sugars dissolved. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and raw pumpkin seeds and mix till pumpkin seeds are all coated.
- Scoop out onto a cookie sheet pan and bake for 15- 20 minutes at 350°. I put them into a bowl and then back onto a cookie sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let them cool. You can always heat them with a microwave for warm candied pumpkin seeds to snack on.
COOKIE DOUGH
- Weigh or measure the sugars into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon then run a whisk through to blend.
- In a handheld or stand mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese till light and fluffy — about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugars and beat for another couple of minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree, mix till blended. Turn the mixer down to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl. After the flour is incorporated, add the candied pumpkin seeds and blend for about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper and set aside. You can use either a small or medium cookie scoop, arrange 12 on a pan and bake for 12-14 minutes. You may need to add a minute if using a medium cookie scoop since they will be thicker. Leave cookies on the pan after taking them out of the oven for a minute or two. Then move them to a cooling rack.
PUMPKIN ICING
- Add powdered sugar, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, milk, Crisco Shortening, butter, into a mixer bowl and blend till smooth. Add the icing to cooled cookies. I added a couple of candied pumpkin seeds on the top just for decoration.
Leave a Reply