This cookie reminds me of a crinkle cookie. It has a soft inside and a little crusty outside from being rolled in the powdered sugar. Baking cinnamon and nutmeg spices in the oven gives me a warm feeling, even if it is cold outside.
I was shocked by how light and airy the inside of these cookies are, and of course, they are so good!!!!
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Ingredients for Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Egg
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Confectioner sugar
Cinnamon-What Kind to Use
I have four different containers of cinnamon currently in my pantry: Ceylon (Spice House), Ground (McCormick), Korintje (Pampered Chief), and Vietnamese (Penzeys).
So, this is my take on how and what I would use each type of cinnamon. McCormick's ground I keep in my pantry from the old days before I realized there were other types of cinnamon. It is still a good staple for anyone, but try different brands to kick up your cinnamon taste.
The Pampered Chief is only around during the holidays. But it reminds me of the cinnamon sugar I used to put on my buttered toast as a kid; it is a little sweeter. I have used this cinnamon in one or two cookies.
That leaves the Ceylon and the Vietnamese cinnamons as my go-to types for baking cookies. How do I decide which to use? If I have a cookie with cinnamon in the name, I want a bold cinnamon to stand up and be noticed, so I grab the Vietnamese by Penzeys.
But that does not mean I do not enjoy the Ceylon, which is just slightly milder in intensity. This is more of my blend-in and plays nice with the other spices cinnamon.
Try one against the one you currently use and see if you can tell a difference. If you bake a lot, it will only take a short time to go through the bottle, so it will not be a waste of money.
Making Pumpkin Cookies
I try to get all my ingredients ready before I start. This helps me to remember not to miss anything.
I start by weighing the sugar into a bowl and setting it aside. Next, weigh the flour in another bowl. Add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the flour, running a whisk through to blend.
In a mixer bowl, I cube the butter and turn the mixer on a medium speed for a couple of minutes.
Then, add the granulated sugar to the butter. Because the ratio of sugar to butter is higher, it will not completely blend. Just mix for a couple of minutes on a medium mixer speed.
Add the egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and mix for a minute or two. It will look broken, but that is OK. It will come together when the flour is added.
Finally, starting on a low mixer speed, gradually add the flour mixture and blend until the flour is incorporated. This is usually a minute or two.
Scrape down the sides, lightly cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. You can speed up this time by sticking the bowl in the freezer for an hour. You need the cookie dough stiff enough to scoop and roll in the powdered sugar.
Baking Crinkle Pumpkin Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. I set the bowl with the cookie dough on the right side, then a small bowl of the powdered sugar and finally the sheet pan on the left.
Try and make the cookie balls about the same size so the baking is consistent. Scoop some of the cookie dough into your hand and make a ball. The cookie dough might be a little tacky but drop the ball into the powdered sugar and roll it around until it is covered.
Fit twelve balls onto a cookie sheet pan and bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 13 to 15 minutes. When baking, there will be cracks in them from the powdered sugar.
Move the cookies to a cooling rack once they are out of the oven.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
They are their best for the first 3 or 4 days. After that, the powdered sugar used to make the crinkle effect starts to dissolve into the cookies. I keep them in a container on the counter with the lid cracked to allow airflow.
I would not. Pumpkin pie filling blends pumpkin, squashes, sugar, and spices. It is hard to substitute the pie filling for the pumpkin puree because you need to know how much to reduce the spices and sugar to equal the puree. It is usually thinner in consistency and contains more water.
Oh, my YES! Popular add-ins include pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips. Pumpkin is a very versatile flavor.
Other Pumpkin Delights
Recipe
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla extract
- 1 cup (245 g) Pure pumpkin puree
- 1 (1) Egg
- 2 ½ cup (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Salt
- ½ cup (62.5 g) Confectioner sugar Enough to roll cookie balls in
Instructions
- In a large bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. I use a whisk to blend, then set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the granulated sugar and set it aside.
- Mix the sugar and softened butter in a stand or hand-held mixer until blended, about 2 minutes on a medium mixer speed. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and mix on a medium speed until combined.
- On a low mixer speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Place the cookie dough into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. You can place the cookie dough into the freezer for an hour to speed up the process. The dough is a little tacky, but if it is too loose, stick it back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line your cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator or the freezer and scoop out enough to make a 1-½-inch ball. I use a cookie scooper, but you could use a spoon. Try to make the balls about the same size so they bake evenly. Roll the balls in the confectioner sugar until coated. Place 12 sugar-coated balls on a prepared sheet pan.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350°F (175°C or 180°C); move to a cooling rack after you take them out of the oven.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Sonia Lott says
Can I freeze the dough balls and bake at a later time?
Barbara says
Hi Sonia, I have not done this, but others have, so yes, to freeze them and bake them later. Don't forget to thaw them some so you can roll them in the powdered sugar before baking them.
Cheers,
Barbara