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Pumpkin Spice Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 40 cookies
Category Dessert
Cuisine American
Author America's Test Kitchen via Zestful Kitchen

Description

These Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies are tender, and lightly sweetened with a wonderfully nutty note. Made with a pumpkin paste and seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, these pumpkin cookies are the perfect fall treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin purée
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup superfine sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened
  • cups pecans, toasted and chopped fine
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin puree over towels. Press with second triple layer of paper towels until towels are saturated.
    Pumpkin puree spread onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels
  • Peel off top layer of towels. Place second baking sheet inside first over pumpkin and flip. Remove top sheet and towels. Repeat if needed to reduce past to ⅓ cup.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, superfine sugar, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt on low speed until combined.
  • Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until dough looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add pecans, pumpkin paste, 2 tablespoons cream cheese (1 ounce), and vanilla and beat until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
  • Transfer cookie dough to counter; knead just until it forms cohesive mass and divide in half. Form each half into disks, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Working with 1 disk at a time, roll dough to ⅛ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Transfer dough, still between parchment, to refrigerator and let chill for 10 minutes.
  • Using a 2½-inch cutter, cut dough into shapes; space shapes 1½ inches apart on prepared sheets. Gently re-roll scraps, cut into shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
    Unbaked pumpkin cookies on a baking sheet
  • Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
    Baked pumpkin cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet
  • Let cookies cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
  • Whisk milk, remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and remaining 1 tablespoon cream cheese (½ ounce) together in a bowl until combined.
  • Add confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. Spread glaze evenly onto cookies (or drizzle) and let dry for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

We used a 1½-inch cookie cutter and baked my cookies for 8–9 minutes. Using a smaller cookie cutter yielded about 84 cookies.
We used vanilla almond milk in the glaze for some added flavor.
If you don't want to use a mix of different spices, use 1 tablespoon of your favorite pumpkin pie spice.
For the best results, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 18mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9g
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