Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Have you ever tried snickerdoodle cookies?
Similar to sugar cookies, snickerdoodles are a New England tradition that has spread in popularity. While I am a die-hard chocolate chip cookie fan, these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are perfect for fall.
What distinguishes a snickerdoodle from a sugar cookie is mostly the incorporation of cinnamon – sometimes into the cookie batter, or sometimes the cookie is rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
This is also one of the few modern baked goods that still uses cream of tartar – to give snickerdoodle cookies that soft, pillowy effect.
For our recipe, we incorporated the traditional “pumpkin spice” flavours, but no actual pumpkin. (If you’re looking for a pumpkin cookie, check out our pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin breakfast cookies.)
The cookies are delicious without any embellishments, but if you’re making them for a party, dipping them in white chocolate, and adding on some icing pumpkins and vines will make these tasty cookies total showstoppers! I’ll explain how I decorated them below the recipe.
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Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup butter, room temp
- 2 eggs, room temp PLUS 2 egg whites for icing
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla PLUS 1 teaspoon for icing
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar PLUS 1/2 tsp for icing
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of Hershey's cinnamon chips (or pumpkin spice chips)
- 1 bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate wafers
- 1 cup powdered icing sugar
- Orange and green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Remove a half cup of the sugar mixture and put it in a bowl, set aside.
- Cream the butter and the rest of the sugar mixture until light and fluffy.
- Add the 2 eggs and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until completely incorporated before adding in the cinnamon chips.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to portion out the cookie dough, roll each dough in the reserved sugar mixture, and place on prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies at least 2" apart as they will spread when baked.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the sheet to allow for easier transferring to a cooling rack.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, or in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring thoroughly in between each heating.
- Dip the cooled and set cookies halfway into the white chocolate, and then set on parchment paper (or a silicone liner) to dry.
- For the icing, beat the 2 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and icing sugar for 4-6 minutes until thick and fully incorporated. Add in more icing sugar as needed.
- Divide the icing into two bowls, adding orange food colouring to one, and green food colouring to the other. Mix, and spoon into individual piping bags - I used #2 tips with mine.
Basically, I made an orange heart shape without the “peak” at the bottom – so a heart with a rounded bottom. I outlined the shape, let it set on each cookie for a couple minutes while I outlined the shape on the others, and then went back and filled it in. By the time I filled in the last pumpkin, the pumpkins were ready for some vines!
You can do the vine as one continual motion, or start at the top of the pumpkin and do two separate vine swirls. Flick your wrist upwards to end a stream of icing.
I loved the delicious combination of white chocolate with the pumpkin spice flavouring, but of course, this recipe will work beautifully if you leave out the other spices and stick to cinnamon.
What are your favourite fall cookies?
Check out our other delicious Cookie Recipes:
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Aw, thank you – I’m so glad you enjoyed it!