Halloween pumpkin cookies
These drop-style Halloween pumpkin cookies are topped with a simple icing, then decorated with a spider web design or sprinkles.
Servings: 28 cookies
Calories: 173kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 300g
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened / 170g / 1 ½ sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ½ cup light brown sugar 108 g
- 1 egg large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure pumpkin purée 114g
For the glaze
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar 312 g
- 3 - 4 tablespoons milk or half and half
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- decorations decorating gel, sprinkles, cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to thoroughly combine, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add egg and beat to combine.
- Add vanilla and mix to combine, then add pumpkin and beat until smooth and uniform, about 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, then mix again just to combine.
- Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, portion out dough onto prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 325°F with convection / 180°C / Gas mark 4.
- Remove tray of cookie dough from refrigerator and place in preheated oven. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes (time varies by oven) until golden brown around the edges. *See notes
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Glaze and decorate
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine powdered (icing) sugar and milk. Stir to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients, then stir until smooth.
- Use an offset spatula to spread glaze on cookies. Decorate with sprinkles or decorating gel.
Video
Notes
- To make spider web design: Use black decorating gel to draw a spiral pattern on top of glazed cookie. Drag a toothpick or wooden skewer from the center of the cookie through the spiral pattern to the edges of the cookie.
- Glaze drying time: Depending on the weather, the humidity, the temperature of your house, etc. — the drying time for the icing will be about 1.5 - 2 hours, if you choose to decorate the cookies. This is especially true if you use decorating gel, as it takes a little longer to set.
- A note on ovens: I recently got a new oven and the bake time varied by 4 minutes. So, know your oven. If it runs cool, or warm, gas, electric, etc.
- Don't skip the chill: Chilling the dough serves a purpose — it helps to prevent your cookies from spreading so they bake up fluffy, it gives the flour time to fully hydrate, and it allows the flavors to develop.
- Use a cookie scoop for consistent results: Use a scoop for cookies that are the same size. Cookies (or anything) that are the same size will bake at the same rate giving you consistent results.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 109mg | Sugar: 21g