A pumpkin snickerdoodle is a cookie that makes a whole lot of sense, if you ask me. I mean snickerdoodles are all about cinnamon and cinnamon says fall— but you know what else says fall? Pumpkin. Thus adding pumpkin puréee and spices to a snickerdoodle recipe is just about the smartest way to get fall (aka pumpkin) into a cookie, as I can imagine. And if we can’t eat the season in cookie form, then what can we do?
Now, full disclosure: I am new to the world of snickerdoodles. I did not grow up with snickerdoodles, nor has anyone ever made me a snickerdoodle. However, I decided to include a recipe for them in my latest cookbook, Snackable Bakes, as snickerdoodles happen to be my dear friend’s favorite cookie. And you know, I think I might have been onto something, as my “Epic Snickerdoodles for Stephanie” have been labeled “genius.” As such, I have borrowed some of the tricks and techniques from my genius version and applied them to this scrumptious pumpkin one.
First, my pumpkin snickerdoodles are easy-peasy to make (like the originals)—all you need is a bowl, a whisk, and a flexible spatula. They also do not require several hours of chilling in order to achieve their deliciously chewy texture and to avoid the dreaded spread, despite the fact they call for melted butter. This dough only needs to be chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes (The pumpkin purée makes scooping the dough a little challenging). Once chilled, they hold their shape so well that I recommend pressing down on the dough balls and flattening them slightly pre-bake (I am very much against a puffy, domed cookie, snickerdoodle or not).
Now, I know shortening is a controversial ingredient, so if you would rather substitute additional butter for the shortening, you do you. Just know that you will likely have to chill your dough for longer than 30 minutes, and likely bake for longer, too. Moreover, I have included a little nutmeg and ginger in the cookie, to pop that pumpkin flavor just a tad, but you can play with the spices—both the variety and amount— as you see fit. Finally, a snickerdoodle word to the wise: I find that the longer I bake the cookies, the puffier and cakier they become. Six minutes might seem crazy fast, but it really is golden when it comes to chewy snickerdoodle baking. And I like to bake only one sheet at a time for even baking; if that reads fussy to you, you can absolutely bake both sheets at the same time. Whether you are a snickerdoodle lover from way back or are new to their world, I am pretty sure these pumpkin ones are going to make it into your cookie-making rotation kind of a lot this fall. —Jessie Sheehan
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