Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
I think the first time I ever heard of snickerdoodles was when I was out of chocolate chips and looking for a recipe that didn’t involve chocolate. I guess I didn’t like what I read, because that was years ago. The first time I made snickerdoodles was two years ago. My friend made them for a holiday potluck/baking competition and I was hooked. The combination of cinnamon and a weird bite of something made these seem like the perfect holiday cookie. The only thing that might make them even better, I recently realized, was some pumpkin and spice. Welcome to your new fall favorite cookie: pumpkin snickerdoodles.
Pumpkin: The Tofu of Veggies
Recently, I have been adding pumpkin to everything and I’m not mad about it. Before we get all excited about pumpkin, however, I think we should admit it is the spices you mix with the pumpkin that are really the star. Pumpkin, in and of itself, doesn’t have too much of a flavor. It is a bit like a sweet potato, only a little less sweet. Pumpkin plays well with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc.. It is a little like the tofu of vegetables: it takes on the flavor of the things around it.
Cream of Tartar: A Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Must
To start, mix the dry ingredients together, including cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that little bite that makes them amazing. Set the dry ingredients aside and mix brown sugar and butter. Brown sugar has a richer flavor than white granulated sugar and really enhances the pumpkin. I let the butter and sugar mix for 3-4 minutes. The extra mixing time not only makes a creamy base, it adds air to the batter and makes for a lighter cookie.
Pumpkin Spices
An egg, vanilla, and pumpkin go in next and then it’s time to work on the spices. I used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. It probably seems like a lot, but it is just right. Could you use pre-made pumpkin spice? Probably. But I find mixing my own spice combination lets me tweak it exactly the way I like.
Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar Topping
One of the other characteristics of snickerdoodles is the cinnamon sugar topping. Mix ⅓ cup granulated sugar with 1 ½ tsp of cinnamon. Scoop out about a tablespoon of the batter and roll it into a ball. Now roll that ball in the cinnamon sugar and bake.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles: A New Fall Favorite
The results here were a super soft, super light cookie full of pumpkin spice flavor and topped with the slight crunch of cinnamon sugar. Pumpkin snickerdoodles are so amazing that they will be a staple of my autumn baking!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tso ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp allspice
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg and mix to combine.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the pumpkin and the spices.
- Mix to combine, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure that everything is incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix until just combined. Again, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure everything gets incorporated.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar by whisking together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball.
- Roll the ball of cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar, making sure all of the dough gets coated.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between the cookies for spreading in the oven.
- Lightly flatten out balls of dough. I use the bottom of my measuring cup.
- Bake for about 11 minutes, rotating the cookie trays midway through the baking time. The cookies are done when they are lightly golden on the bottom and sides.
- Cool on the tray for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
