As October draws to a close and the trees are losing more of their leaves, I am hunkering into the oncoming chilliness with a steaming mug and a wearable blanket. I love fall. It gets just cold enough to make coziness justifiable.
Each year, as fall rolls around, I commit to baking with pumpkin. Because seriously? Pumpkin! The taste of the season. There is just something about the sweet and savoury gourd that signals the beginning of scarves and sweaters. I celebrate autumn with pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, vanilla eggnog pumpkin chai lattes…
And, of course, Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies.
I have made these cookies for three years now and have yet to get a negative review. So when Gavin was asleep one day last week, I grabbed some pumpkin, my stand mixer, and a very cute little helper, and we got to work.
Now that I am a Mom of two, I find that I often don’t have enough activities geared towards my toddler. But Cameron loves to pull up a chair and help in the kitchen so baking with him is a great way to get things done and keep him engaged.
Because I know you will definitely want to make these incredibly delicious cookies, here’s what we did:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil or similar (we used organic sunflower oil)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- at least 1 cup butterscotch chips
Cameron and I made minimal mess while measuring out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a small bowl. Then, we made the minimal mess into a slightly-more-than-minimal mess when I handed the whisk to my two year old.
Using the stand mixer, we (or more accurately, I, since the mixer can be a little scary for a toddler), beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high for about 1 minute; until they were smooth and light in colour.
Then came the oil, pumpkin purée, and vanilla, blended until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, we slowly added the flour mixture. Then, we had a discussion about how we were making “Orange cookies”. Obviously.
Next, we measured out the butterscotch chips. 1 cup. Plus a little extra. So Cameron ate the little extra. Then we put it all in the bowl with the mixer on its lowest speed. Then Cameron had a little extra more. And then we added a few more chips to the cookies. There is no hard and fast rule about how many chipits are required in a cookie recipe. Just this: The more, the better.
We dropped mounds of dough onto baking sheets that I had lined with a silicone baking mat (but parchment paper would work too). With the oven set to 325°F, we baked the cookies for around 16 minutes, rotating the sheet half-way through. The cookies were done when the tops felt firm and a toothpick inserted into the centre came out dry.
These fabulously delicious, cake-like cookies are irresistible. Top marks from both my husband and the toddler!
Source: Annie’s Eats
So, there is your treat from me on this Halloween week. Stay tuned tomorrow for your trick!
What are your favourite pumpkin treats during fall? What recipes do you make every autumn?
I love cooking with pumpkin! I even try to grow them (minimal success). Yesterday I tried pumpkin fudge, but not having made fudge before it was unsuccessful. I now have a tray of pumpkin-sugar goo in the fridge that I don’t know what to do with except eat a spoonful everyone once in a while. So I guess that’s a little successful. haha Every time I have a taste I think what delicious fudge it would have made.
YUM! I love the colour of the cookies. Something about it makes me want to grab them and hunker down with a hot cup of tea. :)
I love anything and everything pumpkin. I bought several cans of puree and am perusing the web looking for something yummy to make. I wonder how these would taste with chocolate chips too?? Yummy!
Rach (DonutsMama) recently posted..Trick or Tantrum
Oh these look delicious!!
Kimberly recently posted..Her Wrath
laura those sound soo yummy!! (ps – you had me at pumpkin chai latte…the only thing that even comes close to being as good is eggnog chai latte….mmm)
I love the richness of the color and can’t wait to try these for Thanksgiving – think they work for that too!
Can’t wait :-)
Kiran
Kiran@masalachica recently posted..Facebook Rules!
Laura, these look delicious! Much likes ones I make every year….only with apple sauce and whole wheat flour!
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips