Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Ingredients You Will Need

• Unsalted butter room temperature
• Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Egg
• Pure pumpkin puree
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon (Vietnamese)
• Nutmeg

Choosing a Cinnamon

I like to break down my baking cinnamons into three categories. There are more, but these are the three most common in my pantry: Ceylon, Cassia, and the 3rd is a brand, McCormick's.

Ceylon Cinnamon

This is a milder and sweeter flavor of cinnamon which works well with delicate desserts. So, I like using this type with custards, puddings, or panna cotta. This milder cinnamon also works great with fruit pies if you want to avoid the taste of the cinnamon overpowering the fruit taste.

Cream-based desserts like cheesecake you want a gentle spice flavor of the cinnamon. There should be a balance of richness for the cream and the gentleness of the cinnamon. There are so many brands of cinnamon that it takes a lot of work to choose a brand you love. But I have had good luck with Penzeys Ceylon Cinnamon Ground.

Cassia Cinnamon

This is my go-to cinnamon for fall and winter cookies. It is bolder and stronger in taste and works well with pumpkin and gingerbread cookies. It has a warming taste that stands out from other bold flavors.

My favorites in the fall and winter are apple with spices cookies, like my Apple Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies or Peanut Caramel Apple Cookies. So, to achieve that warm fall apple spice taste, I use Penzeys Vietnamese for almost all my colder months cookies. I also use it when making my Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies for Thanksgiving.

The three main names sold that are Cassia Cinnamon are Indonesian, Chinese, and Saigon (Vietnamese).

McCormick's Cinnamon

Nothing against McCormick's cinnamon, I have used it in my kitchen for 40 years. It is the most common and the easiest to buy. It is sold in every grocery store in the United States, so it is well known. I never realized a difference in color or taste; I figured they were all alike. Little did I know.

I finally decided to do a taste test to see if there was really any difference, there is! The McCormick brand had a woody aftertaste that I did not realize until tasting it side by side with the other cinnamons.

There is a good article on the different types of cinnamon at bon appetit. You will get other opinions on which cinnamon taste better, Cassia or Ceylon, but it depends on your preference. I like them both but bake with them separately, depending on my ingredients.

The best thing to do is get a small jar of each type, test them with an ingredient you are using in your cookies, and pick the best one for you.

Happy testing!

Canned or Fresh Pumpkin

Now I am a big believer in Libby's 100% Pumpkin Puree; I have been using it for years and love the taste. But I have wondered if it is the best way to make my pumpkin cookies or if I should just suck it up and make my own puree.

On the Libby's can for ingredients, it says one thing Pumpkin and that is it. Many types of pumpkins and squash are in same family. This means Libby's could use a variety of pumpkins and squashes to make their famous can of pure pumpkins puree. So, which should I use, one that I make or in a can?

Everything is relevant, and to put it into perspective, I found this paragraph from Epicurious that I have to share.

"If it does bother you to think that your pumpkin pie might be filled with squash, you could always make your own purée by slicing a sugar pumpkin in half, discarding the seeds and pulp, and then roasting it, cut-side down, at 375ºF until it's tender throughout, about 1 ½ to 2 hours (test by sticking a paring knife into the side—when there is no resistance, it's ready). Once it's cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel and purée in a food processor or blender until totally smooth. Finally, depending on the water content of the fruit, you may or may not have to scrape the purée into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let it strain for a few hours.

Or, you could just pop open a can and accept the fact that if it was good enough for grandma, it's good enough for you."

So, I had to chuckle out loud when I read this, but it is so true!

Just remember that you can use fresh pumpkin, but it will probably be a little thinner in texture and lighter in color. Since you will probably be using one type of pumpkin the taste might also be a little different than the canned pumpkin.

Easy Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Prep and Mix

Only a few things to prep, so let's start by weighing or measuring the sugar into a bowl and setting it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Now take a whisk and blend the dry ingredients.

In your mixer bowl, cut your butter into cubes. I do this so that if the outside of the butter is soft, I want to see that the inside is still fairly solid. Turn the mixer on and cream the butter.

Add the sugar and bring the mixer to a medium speed and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. If the butter is fairly soft it will not take long to come to the soft peak stage.

Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, and add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Mix until incorporated. Now I scrape the sides and turn the mixer on a low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture. Don't over-mix. You can always finish with a nice one-piece spatula if needed.

The color of the cookie dough should be a nice light-colored orange. It will brighten to a nice orange color as it chills and bakes. Cover lightly and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Scoop and Bake

Pre heat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.

I use a medium cookie scooper to add twelve scoops to a prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 13 to 15 minutes. Move to a cooling rack after taking them out of the oven to finish cooling. If you didn't add any sugar on top of the cookies before you baked, you can add it now.

Enjoy!

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