Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fine sanding sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar,salt, and nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, granulated sugar, and pumpkin until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and stir to combine, about 2 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together sanding sugar,cinnamon, and allspice. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough into sugar mixture and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, 3 inches apart. Using a spatula, flatten balls to just under 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with more sugar mixture.
4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until light golden and firm to touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Notes and Comments: These are one of my favorite treats during the holidays. Sugar and spice aren't the only things nice in this version of the beloved snickerdoodle: I added pumpkin puree. Besides infusing the cookies with seasonal flavor, it also results in a moist, cakey center. Rolling the dough in spiced sanding sugar lends sparkle and shine. You don’t have to use sanding sugar, regular granulated sugar works fine. You can add in a bit of colored sugar to make it look pretty! I suggest baking them for 10 minutes. For me, I have a convection oven, so I don’t need to rotate it. For all of you who don’t have a convection oven, rotating every 5 minutes should be good. These are so good that you can eat at least 10 in a sitting (personal experience). You can tweak the amount of pumpkin to make it chewy or cakey. Have fun with it!

Did you recreate this recipe? Send me a picture here. I would love to see your creations!