- Serves 12 - Ready in 3 hours (as they bake best in two batches and the recipe includes 1.5 hours of dough freezing time) -
*Uses up 230g of raw (peeled and de-seeded) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh*
These are really convenient make-ahead treats, as the frozen dough balls can be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Make sure you don't include any seeds when making the puree. The seeds can be soaked and roasted to make a delicious snack - here is the recipe link for 'Soaked and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds'.
Gather together...
230g of raw (skin and seeds removed) pieces of pumpkin / butternut squash OR use 1/2 cup (115g) tinned pumpkin puree. Yes, you read it right, 230g of raw flesh makes 115g of puree. If you use tinned puree and don't like waste, make two batches of these cookies (ie 24 cookies, as you can keep the balls of dough frozen for up to two weeks) and a batch of the Pumpkin Pancakes (eight pancakes), to use up a full tin of pumpkin puree.
140g fridge-cold butter, roughly sliced (salted or unsalted - you choose).
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar.
100g (1/2 cup) white - caster or granulated - sugar.
280g (2 cups) plain flour.
1/4 tsp salt.
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (sieved).
2 tsp ground cinnamon.
1 tsp ground ginger.
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice.
1 medium egg YOLK.
1 tbsp black treacle.
1 tsp vanilla extract (the Taylor & Colledge brand is fairtrade certified / the Dr Oetker brand is alcohol free).
36 Orange Smarties (they come in a separate 120g tube around Halloween which holds more than enough for this recipe, the tube is pleasingly all cardboard), or use 24 LARGE white chocolate buttons with a Smartie on top of each, to make monster eyes (see picture at the bottom of the page).
Get baking...
1. If needed, make the 115g of pumpkin puree from 200g of skinless and seedless raw pumpkin / butternut squash (yes, 200g of raw flesh makes 115g of puree) - use a potato peeler to turn the pumpkin flesh into long, thin strips OR cut it into very thin slices with a knife (I usually end up with a mixture of peelings and slicings). Then place it into a large microwavable bowl (e.g. a pyrex dish), add 2 tbsp of water, cover the bowl with a vented lid (to allow some of the steam to escape, so you don't get burnt by a rush of steam when opening the lid) and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes. Then very carefully (as it is HOT) drain any liquid away with a sieve and then blitz the cooked pumpkin with a handheld stick blender until smooth - this will take about 1 minute. If it seems watery, use the sieve again to remove more water. Now spread the puree out thinly on a dinner plate and let the puree cool for AT LEAST 15 minutes before using - so you don't scramble the egg! Do weigh out the correct amount needed before using as you'll probably have a bit of puree leftover - stir into a pasta dish or a smoothie, or make a spiced latte, so it isn't wasted.
2. Put the 140g of fridge-cold, roughly sliced butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat it for 30 seconds until it is slightly softened - you need the butter to stay quite hard yet be soft enough to mix somewhat with the sugars.
3. Add the 1/2 cup (100g) of brown sugar and the 1/2 cup (100g) of white sugar to the softened butter and beat with the electric mixer for about 30 seconds - the sugars and cold butter will clump together which is a good sign (DO NOT aim for a creamy fluffy mixture).
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the 280g (2 cups) plain flour, the 1/4 tsp of salt, the 1 tsp of sieved bicarbonate of soda and the spices (2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger and the 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice.)
5. Stir in these dry ingredients, using the mixer, just for 30 seconds, until they reach a breadcrumb-like consistency. Scrape round the bowl to loosen any bits stuck to the base.
6. Add the medium egg YOLK, 1 tbsp black treacle (coat your tablespoon in oil so the treacle slides off easily), the 1 tsp of vanilla extract and the 1/2 cup (115g) of pumpkin puree to the bowl and stir with the electric mixer, until just combined, with no dry patches. DON'T over-mix.
7. Now very briefly 'clump' (DON'T roll) the dough into 12 rough balls weighing approximately 68g each (DO weigh the cookie dough on electronic scales if you want evenly-sized cookies).
8. Freeze the balls of dough (on a plate covered with a beeswax wrap rather than clingfilm, if possible) for at least 90 minutes. They will keep happily in the freezer for up to two weeks if needed, so there's no rush to bake them on the same day.
9. Towards the end of the 1.5 hours of freezing-time, preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) or Gas 6 and put an empty LARGE oven tray inside, to heat up (as the oven heats) for 15 minutes (the tray needs to be REALLY hot for these chunky cookies to cook though).
10. Put 6 of the frozen, lumpy dough balls VERY SPACED OUT on the large, pre-heated baking tray, in the middle of the oven - be very careful when handling the hot tray!
11. Initially bake the cookies for 12 minutes.
12. Temporarily remove the hot tray carefully from the oven and flatten each part-baked dough ball with a fish slice so they look more cookie-like and don't remain raw in the middle (but do keep them quite thick and chunky).
13. Bake for a final 5 minutes.
14. Cool the baked cookies on the baking tray for 10 minutes.
15. Whilst still on a solid baking tray, push orange Smarties into the still-soft cookies (or if making 'monster eyes' lay the white chocolate button onto the hot cookies, to soften slightly and then (1 minute later) place the Smarties on top (see below).
16. Then carefully move the cookies to a wire rack (using a fish slice), for at least 20 minutes.
17. You can put the next batch in now (follow Step 10 onwards), or leave the dough balls frozen for up to two weeks.
18. Eat the cookies once cool, so they have solidified enough to handle with ease - enjoy!
Adapted from 'A Couple Cooks' website recipe for Best Pumpkin Cookies recipe by Sonja Overhiser. Baking method adapted from the amazing Cupcake Jemma recipe on YouTube for NYC Chocolate Chip Cookies.