I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away. Yay! It is the one day of the year to just enjoy food and lots of it. It is also the only time that I feel comfortable eating a plate of desserts. I like bringing cookies as part of my dessert contribution, and I try to come up with a new cookie every holiday. I especially enjoy playing around with sugar cookies. They are the perfect blank canvas. This year I decided to make a pumpkin spice sugar cookie. I just can’t get enough pumpkin spice! They turned out really delicious, and you can really taste all of the beautiful intense and warm spices. A Thanksgiving dessert spread must have pumpkin spice in at least a couple of desserts 🙂 These cookies are perfect for a Thanksgiving party, Thanksgiving dessert, and really anytime, including breakfast 🙂 They are crunchy on the outside and slightly soft in the middle, and are packed full of flavor. They are also perfect for kids. My little ones absolutely love them, and I love that they love the spiciness of them. I hope you make these a part of your Thanksgiving dessert spread or part of your fall pumpkin spice season. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving planning!
Notes
#1 Enjoy these cookies with a cup of coffee and dunk away 🙂
#2 Color the glaze with food color to add a colored base or just use glaze to decorate.
#3 You can make the flour mixture ahead of time. You can also make the dough ahead of time, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days before using. The dough will hold up in the freezer for a few weeks, just let it thaw first.
Ingredients
Cookie
- 2 cups all purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. Zoale’s Pumpkin Spice (or substitute what you have on hand)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp. milk (2% or higher milkfat)
- 1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
- oil for greasing pans
Decorations
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. water
- sprinkles and/or colored sugar
Special Equipment:
- parchment paper
- cookie cutter (I used a 2 in. wide pumpkin)
- food safe paint brush or pastry brush
Instructions
Cookies
- Sift the flour, pumpkin spice, and baking powder together and then add salt, and whisk until combined. Place the softened butter and sugar in the mixer and cream them together, by mixing on high (start on low until sugar is incorporated) until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape the bowl as needed throughout this process. Add the egg and mix until incorporated, and repeat with the vanilla and then the milk. While the mixer is on low, steadily add the flour mixture. Mix until the dough is formed. Grab two pieces of parchment paper and place the cookie dough on one. Place the other piece of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough out while covered with the parchment paper. This will cut down on any mess. Roll out until you reach 1/4 inch thickness. Cover well and place flat in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut out your pumpkins or desired shapes, place on a greased baking sheet and in the oven (I use a baking stone). They should be done in 18 to 20 minutes, and be lightly golden on the bottom. Place on cooling racks. These cookies are wonderful plain, but to make them special you can add a little decoration. If eating them undecorated, store in a sealed container for several days, or freeze for longer storage.
Decorations
- Mix the water and powdered sugar and stir well. Select your colored sugar and sprinkles and place in separate containers. Using a brush, evenly apply the glaze. Evenly sprinkle on the colored sugar or sprinkles. Let dry for about 10 minutes. You can enjoy immediately or store in a sealed container for several days. The cookies will get softer overnight after being decorated. Note: once the glaze is added, the pumpkin spice flavor will be slightly decreased.
- I love the simplicity of decorating cookies with glaze, and it is also a great way to include little kids in the decorating process. My little ones love decorating cookies this time of year, and I love to see the smiles on their faces.
Try these other sugar cookies:
Love the addition of pumpkin spice for. Sugar cookies.. Cookies looks grt
Thanks Vidya 🙂
You’re making me hungry with all these delicious cookie posts Antonia! Love your tip about making the dough ahead of time, it is the perfect time saver for those busy days when you need something quick.
Haha! I have eaten too many myself 🙂 Thanks Heather!
Antonia,
I love the shape, spice and the presentation of your cookies! perfect for thanksgiving!
Thanks Sandhya!
Beautiful little pumpkin cookies…i love the colorful sprinkles! My boys would gobble these up!! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words 😀
Omg looks so delicious!
Thanks Swapna!
They are so pretty and festive! Perfect for Thanksgiving. Her Majesty adores sugar cookies. She would devour these in a few seconds! 😊
Thank you Francesca! My son is the same way 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
I like this very different, a twist on something we all love! These are really yummy Antonia!
Thank you Lynn!
Very beautiful and sounds delicious for the holidays
Thanks Lynn! I am so glad you like them 🙂
I love simple and these look lovely sweet and yummy!
Lynn, thank you for all the smiles today! You made my day 😀 I am totally with you on simple.
yes for sure! looks like I have to try them! kids would say yummm
I hope they like them! My kids can’t enough of them!
I am sure!
Yum!!!
Thank you 🙂