Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Originally posted November 28, 2011. Well I’ve officially gotten to that point in my pregnancy where my protruding belly is so conspicuous that I have lost all sense of spacial recognition. You know how you can usually tell whether you can pass between someone sitting in a chair and the wall behind them? Or if you can slide in between two people in different conversations in the halls at church? Well, it all goes out the window when you’re pregnant. You end up baby-bumping people all over the place, which is kind of like fist-bumping, except no one wants to do it, and there’s no escape. I’ve also gotten to the point where truly none of my old clothes fit. My sister-in-law Reesy convinced me to buy a maternity jumpsuit. A piece of advice to my fellow fashion deficients: don’t listen to your friend when they tell you to try something new, especially if the word “jumpsuit” is involved. You will look like a pumpkin. But you won’t be able to send it back because you recognize how incredibly comfortable it is. Later Valentine saw me wearing it, and she said what’s that? (even the two-year-old recognizes that this might not count as socially acceptable clothing.) I said, it’s a jumpsuit. She stared at me with toddler wisdom brimming in her eyes, waiting. Seconds ticked by and finally she said, “Well, jump!” Ha! And so we jumped. Way to help me not take myself so seriously, kid. Every year here in California, the weather does this thing in September where it blesses you with breezy weather in the 70s for a few days, only to yank you back into a 100 degree heatwave a week later. It’s so cruel! But sooner or later, cool crisp days will be upon us for good. So bring on the pumpkin!
Pumpkin Cookies Recipe for the Win
When was the last time you made a gloriously soft pumpkin cookie with icing to go on top? It’s truly one of life’s greatest pleasures, especially on the day when you open your window and it’s colder outside your house than the other way around. This old fashioned soft pumpkin cookie recipe (and many variations like it) is as old as the hills, it seems. I feel like every grandma has a version of this recipe, and you can find so many variations on the internet. Maybe all of them are adapted from Libby’s pumpkin cookies! I adapted this one from my best friend Sarah’s Grandma Ernestine. Sarah told me this: Ernestine grew up in the Virginia countryside and helped make food for the farm hands; when she was 10 her desserts were so good that her mom turned the job of making all the desserts over to her. I’m sure she never guessed as a Virginia farm girl that she’d end up marrying a CIA agent and have kids on four continents. Ernestine sounds like a pretty tough cookie, right?? And she definitely knows where it’s at when it comes to pumpkin cookies. They are legit.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies – Chewy vs. Cakey
Now listen here my friends. Normally I am firmly entrenched in camp Chewy Cookies. I feel very strongly about this and you will not find many cookies on my site that are not supremely chewy. But these soft pumpkin cookies are one blessed exception. They are perfectly cakey, and that’s not an apology! It kind of feels like eating a tiny little cake with frosting rather than a cookie, and it’s amazing. The dough is more of a batter. The baked cookie is light and fluffy like a cloud. When you take a bite, it melts in your mouth like you wouldn’t believe. (If you are interested in a CHEWY pumpkin cookie, check out these Pumpkin Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies. They have no egg in them, which is what makes them chewier (Pumpkin acts kind of like an egg in cookies) Today’s recipe calls for pumpkin AND an egg, making them extremely fluffy, tall, and yes, more cakey. Slap on that glaze and embrace your mini cake. It’s so good!
How to make Pumpkin Pie Cookies
It’s a really easy dough to whip up, and there is no chilling required, which I love. You can have these in your mouth in 30 minutes flat start to finish. Don’t bother using a cookie scoop. The dough is so sticky. I just used two spoons. You can make them any size you like, just be sure to adjust the baking times. I included the picture with my fingers for scale so you can see about how big I made them. (1 and 1/2 to 2 tablespoons about). The cookies are good all by themselves, but we’re taking it over the top and adding a brown butter glaze. If you have never browned butter before, you have come to the right place. Brown butter does INCREDIBLE things; try out these Nutella Stuffed Browned Butter Blondies, or my favorite Brownie recipe of all time, or these Browned Butter Glazed Carrots! Browned butter lends a nutty, deep flavor to whatever you add it to. It’s probably one of my favorite ways to enhance flavor. And glaze for soft pumpkin cookies is no exception! It’s so easy. Just brown some butter in a pan (it takes like 3 minutes) then add sifted powdered sugar and milk/cream. Super quick. Here’s a look at these pumpkin cookies from yesteryear. I posted a similar recipe back in 2011 when I first started my blog. I didn’t know about browned butter back then, which is why there are no visible specks of deliciousness.
More pumpkin recipes to get you in the fall spirit!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins « these are a huge reader favorite! Can’t go wrong with that filling. Pumpkin Roll Recipe with Tons of Cream Cheese Frosting « this is a classic! These rolls are so good. Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake « one of my favorite desserts to serve at Thanksgiving! Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake « this is less cake, more brownie texture. Plus frosting. YES! Crème Brulée Pumpkin Pie « another favorite for Thanksgiving! The only way I eat pumpkin pie now. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting « done in about an hour!
More fall cookie recipes you are going to love!
Soft Cinnamon Cookies with Maple Pecan Frosting « the frosting guys. It’s AMAZING. Soft Peanut Butter Cookies with Maple Glaze « I love this flavor combo!! Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies « these are like Chocolate Snickerdoodles. Irresistible! Soft Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies from Will Cook for Smiles Apple Oatmeal Cookies from Well Plated Apple Butter Snickerdoodles from Crazy for Crust Maple White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Your HomeBased Mom Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
