Pumpkin sugar cookies

My love for sugar cookies has grown, and I knew a pumpkin sugar cookie would be a great way to celebrate fall! These cookies are thick and chewy with a slightly crunchy exterior from the rolled sugar, with just the right amount of pumpkin.

If you're looking for a super blast of pumpkin, this is not the recipe for you. I view these as sugar cookie forward with a subtle hit of pumpkin that's perfect for fall. These cookies have pumpkin puree and cinnamon as their main "fall" flavors, and you have the option to add a little bit of pumpkin spice if you want a little extra pumpkin flavor.

One thing I love about these cookies is that they're made with no special equipment so they're quick and easy to make. You'll begin with melted butter, and then add your ingredients from there working towards a smooth and evenly mixed dough that chills for at least 4 hours.

For scooping your cookie dough, your cookies should be about 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons in size. I love these scoops from Cook'n Feel (I use the medium scoop usually for cookies) or this large scoop from Oxo.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 113g

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 127g

• 1/4 cup brown sugar 48g

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin 65g

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour 200g

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling 36g

Total time: About 5-6 hours Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 11-13 minutes Chill time: 4-5 hours Servings: 11 cookies Equipment:

• Cookie sheets

• Spatula and whisk

• Large and small bowls

• Parchment paper

• Scooper (2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons) or large spoon

Cooking instructions: In a large bowl, melt your butter. Then, add in both sugars and use a whisk to mix together until smooth. Next, add in your egg yolk and continue to whisk until your mixture is thickened and fully combined, about a minute. Then add in your pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, continuing to whisk for another minute, being sure to reach to the bottom and all sides of your bowl. Add in your all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon - and if you want an extra pumpkin boost, you can add the optional pumpkin spice here too. Being sure not to over mix, fold in your dry ingredients with a spatula or large spoon until your dough forms. Cover your dough with plastic wrap or transfer your dough into an airtight container and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 4 up to 6 hours. Note: if you want to do this step ahead of time, your un-scooped dough can remain in the fridge up 24 hours as long as it is well protected in an airtight container (I recommend wrapping in plastic wrap and then placing into a container or plastic bag if chilling for more than the recommended 4 to 6 hours). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After your dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge and it should feel firm to the touch. Onto a lined cookie sheet or two, I used parchment paper, use a cookie scoop or large spoon to portion out your dough - it should make about 11 cookies, 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons per cookie. In a small bowl, add in your three tablespoons of granulated sugar. Roll each cookie dough ball twice in sugar to ensure they're well coated on all sides. Place your cookie scoops back onto your lined cookie sheet and if your dough feels soft, place it back into the fridge - you want them to be firm to the touch before baking. Place your cookies into the oven to bake for 11 to 13 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly once removed from the oven, and enjoy! Your baked cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or in the fridge, but they will taste best fresh baked and enjoyed the same day you made them. You can also freeze some or all of your dough to bake later. To do this, place your scooped and sugar rolled cookie dough onto a baking sheet and into the freezer for 12-24 hours. Then, transfer your frozen dough to a plastic bag or airtight container and store in the freezer. To bake from frozen, set your oven to 325 and bake for about 14-16 minutes. Carb and serving info: Servings: 11 cookies Carbs per serving: 34 Carbs for full recipe: 379 Carbs from sugar coating: 38 Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.