Pumpkin Pecan Cookies
This is a cookie made by Nancy Snows family every Thanksgiving. Her family loves pumpkin so this cookie is pretty popular.
This is a cookie made by Nancy Snows family every Thanksgiving. Her family loves pumpkin so this cookie is pretty popular.
- Carbohydrate 7.79403945260437 g
- Cholesterol 22.1161805728297 mg
- Fat 6.60091000662215 g
- Fiber 0.965515020323709 g
- Protein 1.00471622319553 g
- Saturated Fat 4.104063504144 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (28g)
- Sodium 150.945641825437 mg
- Sugar 6.82852443228066 g
- Trans Fat 0.497676022716393 g
- Calories 93 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and allspice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the sugar. Add the egg; beat well. Stir pumpkin and flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 6-10 minutes or unntil bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Frost the cooled cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting.
Controlling moisture is the central challenge when introducing wet purées into a standard cookie dough formula. Pumpkin introduces significant water content, which can easily transform a desired tender crumb into a cakey, heavy mass if the fat and flour ratios are not handled correctly. Softening the butter fully to room temperature ensures proper aeration during the thirty-second creaming phase with sugar, creating microscopic air pockets that chemical leaveners like baking soda rely on to lift the dense pumpkin solids.
Portioning the dough onto ungreased baking sheets requires rounded teaspoons spaced precisely two inches apart to allow for lateral spread without edge-merging. Baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for six to ten minutes demands vigilant observation; watch for pale golden bottoms rather than surface browning, because pumpkin masks traditional visual cues of doneness. Transferring the hot batches immediately to wire racks halts residual bottom-cooking and preserves the interior softness.
Freezing unbaked scooped portions on a sheet pan before transferring them to airtight bags extends usability up to three months without flavor degradation. Freshly grated nutmeg offers a sharper, more volatile aromatic profile than pre-ground alternatives, cutting through the natural sweetness of the squash and dairy fats. Frosting must wait until the baked goods reach ambient room temperature to prevent the butter-based spread from melting into a translucent glaze.
