While I’m firmly in the camp that thinks spring is the best time of year, fall is a close second. I saw that we are only two days away from the official start of fall and everyone knows what that means.
But why stop there? Why stop at just pumpkin spice? Snickerdoodles are perhaps the epitome of a fall cookie in my opinion. Chewy and delicious, it goes perfectly with your morning pumpkin spice coffee. Or maybe you want to enjoy one while watching football and the pumpkin spice Scentsy is in full swing – assaulting the senses of everyone in the house with the telltale sign that fall is here, with or without their permission.
However you enjoy your pumpkin spice, enjoy it responsibly. At this time of year, visions of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” run through my head. Instead of a hostile desert planet and deep blue eyes, I see long lines at Starbucks and eyes boiling red with anger at the waiting game.
“Who controls the pumpkin spice controls the universe.”
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
1 cup cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for rolling
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Fry the butter in a large stainless steel pan. It will take about 9-11 minutes. As it cooks, it will foam, pop, and crackle. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
3. When the bottom is covered with brown bits of butter and smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. You should have just under 1 cup of browned butter. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Once the butter is at room temperature, chill it in the refrigerator until it is cool to the touch but NOT hard.
4. Place the pumpkin puree on a plate. Use several paper towels to press into it and soak up the excess liquid.
5. When the butter has cooled, beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 minute.
6. Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla and dried pumpkin puree. Stir in flour, pumpkin spice, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda until combined. Put the bowl with the dough in the fridge for 5 minutes to set.
7. Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Make balls of the dough about the size of 3 tablespoons and roll each in cinnamon sugar. Place it on the prepared baking sheet 2-3 cm apart.
8. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is puffy and slightly undercooked. Allow the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.