Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I made cookies!! Yes indeed, I really did. Most of you who know me are aware that me and flour and baking don’t really get along so well. And they actually came out pretty spectacular if I don’t say so myself. (Oh but my family told me too, along with my book club members at our cookie exchange, and the kind folks at my seasonal post office job!)

I first tried this recipe back in November, but the cookies didn’t come out so great texture- and shape-wise because of my high altitude. So I did a bunch of research, prepared a double batch, and set to experiment on cookie dough shape, oven temps, and timing.

The original recipe comes from my foodie friend Jodi over at The Creative Life In Between. I’ll share her original instructions, along with my high-altitude adjustments for those of you who share similar climes.

If you are a lover of snickerdoodles and are always first in line for pumpkin pie, this is a perfect marriage of flavors. I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 1/4 cups flour
For rolling: 1/4 cup sugar + 2 tsp ground cinnamon, combined

Cream together butter and sugars with electric mixer. Add egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin, and combine.

Add next 8 ingredients, followed by the flour, and mix until combined.

Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Pumpkin Snickdoodle

Normal cooking directions:

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll and shape dough into golf ball sized balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place on baking stone or sheet and bake approximately 12 minutes until tops begin to crack. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking stone/sheet for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

High-altitude cooking directions:

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll and shape dough into golf ball sized balls. Place on baking stone or sheet and flatten the cookie with the palm of your hand to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. Gently press into cinnamon sugar on both sides and place back onto the cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 9 minutes until tops begin to crack. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking stone/sheet for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

P.S. Happy Yule Y’all!! 😀

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

If your Halloween pumpkin was not carved into a Jack-O-Lantern or the weather and/or deer have not decimated it, then you still have a chance to roast the batch of seeds inside it for a quick and tasty snack. Such was the case at our house. I didn’t buy a pumpkin until the day before Halloween, and brought it inside just a few days later.

Pumpkin with Onion

I bought a rather large one in hopes of a big batch of seeds (pictured above with an onion for scale), but I only got about a cup of seeds, dang it! I don’t know how to tell how many seeds a pumpkin has inside, so if you have any insight on that I would much appreciate your wisdom.

Cutting Open the Pumpkin

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 pumpkin
1 person skilled with a knife to cut it open for you
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If cutting through thick pumpkin skin with a large sharp knife intimidates you, do like me and have your spouse or friend cut it open for you. Besides, my husband’s hands make much better models than mine. Scoop out the seeds with your hands and place on a large baking sheet in one layer. Don’t bother washing them to get rid of any pulp clinging to them. It crisps right up for some good eating right along with the seeds! Sprinkle the seasoned salt all over, give them a stir and sprinkle a little more on. Place in oven for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove and cool slightly, then snack away! Store any leftovers in a Ziploc bag.

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds