Guest Post Eats: Iced Pumpkin Cookies
11:08 AM
Hello, I am Nicole! There was recently a gathering for the fall friend birthdays and when Sara said she was bringing cupcakes, I offered to bring pumpkin cookies. Any excuse! And Sara asked me to write a guest post without even tasting them first, which is confidence if I've ever heard of it!
So!
This right here is the method that I use to make my pumpkin puree. I don't really deviate from that.
Preheat the oven to 350F, and then break the stem off of your pumpkin. (I did it by hand! For the first time! I've always used a hammer, before! I won't judge you if you use a hammer!) I put a little plastic cutting board on top of a dish towel (to keep it from moving on me) and then I cut the pumpkin in half, through the stem and the flower butt mark on the bottom. (I find a big sharp knife and a rocking motion are the way to go for this. I also kind of went down one side and then down the other so that the cuts met at the bottom.) Then I scooped out the guuuts with a sturdy spoon and discarded them. I put the two pumpkin halves on a greased baking sheet (open side down) put it in the oven, and then walked and played Harvest Moon for 35 minutes. And wondered why Sheng the blacksmith is such a furry. Anyway, I know, the recipe says 45 minutes to an hour. In my experience and my oven, it comes out a little dark at 45 minutes, so I checked earlier than that. And it was done at 35! Check for that by fork testing. When it easily penetrates, blah blah blah. Let it cool and then scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. Grab a stick blender. Pureeeeee. I imagine you could use something else, but this is the only way that I personally have done it. After that I lined a colander with cheesecloth, and put the pumpkin in there. I set this over a larger bowl and let it sit overnight. I probably should've used a wire strainer, instead, since the stuff at the bottom was still a little watery and I only drained off about 3 tbsp of liquid. But anyway! From there I set aside the cup of pumpkin that I needed for cookies and froze the rest in 1/2 cup portions. And gave the little leftover bit to the dog.
I've made them before. They have about a bajillion great reviews because they are kinda awesome.
Pumpkin Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl and set them aside. In a larger bowl, cream the 1/2 cup of butter and the 1 1/2 cups of white sugar together. I used a pastry cutter because I thought it would be easier than using a fork. I feel like this was a good call. Add the pumpkin, egg and the one tsp vanilla to this and beat it together. Add the dry ingredients and beat it again! Taste it and swoon.
Pumpkin Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl and set them aside. In a larger bowl, cream the 1/2 cup of butter and the 1 1/2 cups of white sugar together. I used a pastry cutter because I thought it would be easier than using a fork. I feel like this was a good call. Add the pumpkin, egg and the one tsp vanilla to this and beat it together. Add the dry ingredients and beat it again! Taste it and swoon.
Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets (I have baking sheets that I only ever use for cookies and associated loveliness. I baby the crap out of them. We get organic facials together. I used those, rather than the old battle axe that I baked the pumpkin on). The recipe says to bake for 15 to 20 min. I checked them at 15 and a few of them were a little dark. So. I did not learn from my previous experience with the pumpkin, I guess.
Let them cool and mix together powdered sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla (or use half and half instead of milk if you're a coffee drinker, like me, and that's all you have on hand) then spoon it over the cookies. I have done this right on the baking sheet before, but I did it over waxed paper, this time.
I did get the 3 dozen that the recipe states, and I think that they're pretty tasty! I would definitely describe them as cakey, they're very soft and they have that pumpkin pie spice thing going for them. Also, the glaze really takes it over the top. This is not the first time that I have made them, and totally will not be the last. The only deviations that I actually used were the fresh pumpkin in place of canned, and half and half in place of milk for the glaze. I do wish that I had taken a more glamorous finished product shot, but I didn't remember until I was already at the bar. Alas!
Buuuut yup. Thanks for having me!
I did get the 3 dozen that the recipe states, and I think that they're pretty tasty! I would definitely describe them as cakey, they're very soft and they have that pumpkin pie spice thing going for them. Also, the glaze really takes it over the top. This is not the first time that I have made them, and totally will not be the last. The only deviations that I actually used were the fresh pumpkin in place of canned, and half and half in place of milk for the glaze. I do wish that I had taken a more glamorous finished product shot, but I didn't remember until I was already at the bar. Alas!
Buuuut yup. Thanks for having me!
8 Musings
OMG yum. I want to try these!! I love pumpkin everything!
ReplyDeleteOh so festive! Gotta try it!
ReplyDeleteYou are so authentic! Cool to know about how to cook the pumpkin. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYum! These look and sound so delicious!
ReplyDeleteAs I've got seven pumpkins in the shed, I think it's about time I tried this recipe!
ReplyDeleteOhhellojo.blogspot.com
So these look incredible! I'm incapable of baking cookies myself - they alwaysalwaysalways wind up completely burned and hard as rock. I have no idea what the problem is. :/
ReplyDeletexx
These look so delicious! What a perfect treat for Autumn. I had some iced lemon cookies the other day and I know I would love these. Thanks!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.averysweetblog.com/
Mmm I like the sound of these. Still waiting for the pumpkins to arrive here so I can finally try it!
ReplyDeleteTalk nerdy to me.