Two things that say fall and late fall are pumpkins and cranberries, so why not put them together into a cookie? I always use Libby's 100% pumpkin puree. I have found it has the best taste for my cookies.
In the case of this week's cookie, I opted for dried cranberries which hold up well. They don't bleed the red color into the whole cookie. If you ever wanted to know how they get those little red cranberries out of the water, wonder no longer. Check out Cranberries.com for all the info.
Table of contents
Now to put it all together!
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- Sugar white
- Light brown sugar
- Butter unsalted
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Egg yolk
- Pumpkin puree
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Allspice
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped walnuts
ICING
- Cream cheese
- Butter unsalted
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Making Pumpkin Cookies
Prep and Mix
I always try to read the recipe first, get all my ingredients weighed out, and place them all around my KitchenAide mixer. I want to ensure I do not miss an ingredient in my cookies.
Here we go! In a bowl, weigh or measure the light brown and white sugar and set it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour, salt, baking powder, and allspice in another bowl. I then run a whisk through to blend the dry ingredients.
In your mixer bowl, add the butter and cream cheese and mix until incorporated. Then add the sugars and turn the mixer to medium speed for 3 minutes. You want it to look light and fluffy.
Next, add and mix the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Scrap the bowl and turn the mixer back on to a low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend.
I do not blend my flour mixture for very long, maybe a minute or less. Finally, I add the cranberries and walnuts and mix for a few seconds. After that, I take the mixing bowl off the stand, and if I need to, I will use a spatula to blend in any loose flour or move any of the fruit and nuts around. Try not to over-mix your cookie dough.
Chill and Bake
Cover loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Time to heat the oven to 350° and prepare two cookie sheet pans by lining them with parchment paper sheets.
I am using a medium cookie scooper to place twelve scoops of cookie dough onto a prepared cookie sheet pan.
When adding the icing onto the top of the cookies, I find it is easier if they are flattened out slightly before being baked. An easy way I have found to accomplish this is by taking a strip of parchment paper and placing it on top of the cookie mound. Then, use the bottom of a water glass to press down and flatten it to about an inch thick.
Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes. Once out of the oven, move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling before starting the icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
What can you say about cream cheese icing? I love this icing and know it every time I lick the spoon that it is one of my favorite flavors for icing.
Add cream cheese, vanilla extract, and butter to your mixer and blend. Next, turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed and blend until there are no lumps.
I take a regular butter knife and spread a generous amount of the cream cheese icing on top of every cookie. Finally, I finish the cookies by adding a single dried cranberry on top.
The cranberry red is a nice contrast of color against the white cream cheese icing.
Storage
These will keep for 5 to 7 days in an air-tight container.
Other Cranberry Cookies
Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies and Cream Cheese Icing
Barbara HallIngredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 oz (113.4 g) Cream Cheese room temperature
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 1 (1 ) Egg yolk
- ½ cup (122.5 g) Pumpkin puree
- 2 ⅔ cups (333.33 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Allspice
- ¾ cup (90.91 g) Dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (87.75 g) Chopped walnuts
ICING
- 4 oz (113.4 g) Cream Cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
Instructions
COOKIE DOUGH
- In a bowl, weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars, and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, salt, baking powder, and allspice (run a whisk through to blend), and set this bowl aside. In a stand or hand-held mixer, cream the sugars, butter, and cream cheese, until all three are blended, about 3 on medium speed.
- Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until blended. Turn the mixer down and slowly add the flour mixture. After the flour is incorporated (try not to over-mix), I scrape down the sides, add the cranberries and walnuts, and blend for 30 seconds. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- I use a medium cookie scooper and place 12 scoops onto a parchment-lined cookie pan. Then, using a strip of parchment paper, I put it between the cookie mound and the bottom of a flat-bottomed drinking glass to flatten the cookie mound. Next, I press down on glass until the mounds are about one inch thick. A flat top makes it easier to put the icing on after they cool. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes, then move the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling before starting the icing.
ICING
- Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and butter to a mixer bowl and blend. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar blend until there are no more lumps. Spread a nice amount on top of each cookie. I added 1 dried cranberry to the top to make them pretty.
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