Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Ingredients

• 120 g canned pumpkin puree (or 1/2 cup)
• 50 g brown sugar (dark preferred, or 1/4 cup)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp milk (can also use heavy cream or half & half)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
• 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
• 100 g brown sugar (dark preferred, or 1/2 cup)
• 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g all-purpose flour (or 2 cups)
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 50 g granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup)
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon (1-2 tsp)
• 4.5 tbsp mascarpone cheese (4-5 tbsp)
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. 1

   Make the pumpkin pie filling by whisking together the pumpkin puree, 50g brown sugar, 1 egg, milk (or cream), and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. 2

   In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and 100g brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. 3

   Add the 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the butter mixture, then mix again until fully combined.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

5. 5

   Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing slowly until just combined. Do not overmix.

6. 6

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

7. 7

   In a small shallow bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to create the cinnamon sugar coating.

8. 8

   Roll the cookie dough into 12 equal-sized balls.

9. 9

   Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar until fully and evenly covered.

10. 10

    Place the coated cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

11. 11

    Press each cookie dough ball down with a tablespoon so that the ball spreads flat and there is a distinct tablespoon-sized indent in the center.

12. 12

    Pour about a tablespoon of the prepared pumpkin pie filling into each indent, filling it to the top.

13. 13

    Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and the pumpkin pie filling has set.

14. 14

    Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets. Do not move them while warm, as they are fragile and will break.

15. 15

    While cookies cool, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Dollop or pipe onto the cooled cookies before serving.

Notes

Moving the cookies before they are completely cool will cause them to break. The original recipe was gluten-free by Katarina Cermelj, but this version uses all-purpose flour.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cookies
• pumpkin
• fall baking
• thanksgiving
• baked