Pumpkin Spice Autumn Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Autumn Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Autumn Cookies

I fell and hurt my knees a few days ago and was home all weekend, so I baked to keep my mind off the swelling and pain. I baked Pumpkin Spice Cookies adapted from a Sweetopia recipe (see link below). I reduced the granulated and brown sugars, and used light brown instead of brown sugar since that is what I had on hand. I also increased some of the spices to my liking for a real good pumpkin spice flavor. Our apartment smelled like pumpkin spice as the cookies baked in the oven. I share the recipe below.

Leaves

Leaves

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Ingredients

Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies (less if you use large cutters)

2 cups (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into 8 cubes

2 Extra Large Eggs

1/4 cup Pumpkin Purée

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Lightly packed Light Brown Sugar

5 cups All Purpose Flour (King Arthur)

2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

2 teaspoons Ground All-Spice

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

Leaves

Leaves

Leaves, close-up

Directions
Cut each stick of softened butter into 8 pieces.

Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all-spice, and salt in large bowl and combine with whisk or spatula; put aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment on low to medium speed. Mix until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds more.

Add pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, and eggs one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again for another 5 seconds.

Slowly add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes.

When dough clumps around paddle attachment it is ready. Do not overmix.

Leaves, close-up

Leaves, close-up

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and cool in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take 1/4 of the dough, use rolling pin and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness, dip cutters in a little flour, and cut out shapes. Repeat rolling the dough and cutting shapes until you use it all.

If your cookies have a little flour on them gently use a brush to wipe away before chilling.

Place shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and space apart 2 inches.

A must do: put cookies in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. They hold their shape and do not spread when baking if you do this.

Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. My cookies baked in 12 minutes.

Let cookies cool in baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Let cookie sheets cool completely before you bake again. I put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat until you have baked all the cookies.

Acorns

Acorns, close-up

Large Batch Royal Icing

Ingredients
8 Egg Whites

8 teaspoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

12 cups Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla Extract

Sunflowers

Sprinkles in glass bowls

Directions
In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, set aside.

Squeeze lemon juice into small bowl, set aside.

Separate yolks and add egg whites in a medium size bowl.

Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to egg whites and whisk together until combined.

Transfer egg white mixture to stand or hand held mixer with paddle attachment, and mix on high for 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and mix for 5-10 seconds.

With mixer speed on low, slowly add sifted sugar and beat on low until smooth.

If needed, you may add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency. Watch the Joy of Baking (link at the end) video for both Flooding Consistency and Piping Consistency Royal Icing. If you prefer a recipe using Meringue Powder, it is also available at this link.

I separated the icing in plastic containers with lids according to the different colors I needed for tinting.

I used AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in lemon yellow, orange, chocolate brown, and super black. To make the dark brown, I added more chocolate brown until I reached the color I needed. Just add a little at a time. Remember, if you add to much at once you can't fix it.

Keep the containers covered until you are ready to color.

Royal Icing in Squeeze Bottles in Super Black, Lemon Yellow, Orange, Brown, Dark Brown

AmeriColor Gourmet Writer Food Decorating Pens

I transferred the icing immediately into Squeeze Bottles using a funnel to prevent spilling. Keep the squeeze bottle tips covered. If the Royal Icing hardens due to exposure to air, use a spray bottle and squirt a little water and shake bottle well holding the tip with your finger. Test the icing consistency on a paper towel before decorating the cookie.

I outlined the cookies and waited 1/2 hour and then filled them.

Use a paintbrush or cookie stick to reach edges and use tip of cookie stick or a toothpick to pop any air bubbles.

For sprinkles, I used Wilton Flowers (for the hedgehogs - Woodland Theme Cookies post tomorrow), Wilton Chocolate Jimmies, CK Products Sanding Sugar in brown, gold and orange.

I used AmeriColor Gourmet Writer Food Decorating Pens to outline design on the cookie before icing and to add fine details. Always keep the decorating pens in the fridge in the packaging they come in and remove 1/2 hour before using them. When you are done, store them in the fridge until the next time you need them.

Let cookies dry overnight.

For the Royal Icing recipe and video tutorial, visit Joy of Baking:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

For the Pumpkin Spice Cut-Out Cookies recipe, visit Sweetopia:
http://sweetopia.net/2016/08/recipe-pumpkin-spice-cut-out-cookies/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys