A snickerdoodle gets its tang from cream of tartar, and the pumpkin version keeps that while adding moisture from a few spoonfuls of puree. The cookies come out softer than a classic snickerdoodle and stay that way for days, because pumpkin holds water in the crumb the way it does in a quick bread.
Twenty-four cookies from one batch makes this the cheapest thing here per portion. Everything in the bowl is a pantry staple apart from half a can of pumpkin, and the other half goes into the cheesecake, a loaf of quick bread, or the freezer in half cup portions.
Roll every ball in the cinnamon sugar, and do it just before they go into the oven. That coating is what cracks as the cookie spreads, and it is the only thing separating a snickerdoodle from a plain sugar cookie. Balls rolled early absorb the sugar and bake up smooth.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk room temperature
For rolling
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly set. The centers will remain soft.
- Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
