Description
Delight in these Pumpkin Spice Cutouts, perfectly spiced and tender sugar cookies ideal for fall celebrations. Made with pumpkin puree and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, these cookies are soft, flavorful, and easy to decorate with icing and sprinkles, making them a festive treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional
- flour for rolling
- icing and sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with both brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is completely incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing continuously until a soft dough forms without overworking.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and enhance flavor.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s ready when the dough is prepared for baking.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes and transfer them to parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cutouts for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, ensuring a tender texture.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once cooled, optionally decorate with icing and sprinkles to customize your festive cookies.
Notes
- For crispier cookies, roll the dough slightly thinner before cutting.
- These cookies maintain their shape well, making them excellent for fall-themed cutouts.
- Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chill time)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
