Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch Chips Recipe
Adapted from "Big Fat Cookies" by Elinor Klivans
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Pumpkin gives these soft, cakelike cookies a gorgeous golden orange color. Using an ice cream scoop to form the cookies makes the tops nice and smooth. The mounds of batter bake into cookies that look like the smooth, round top of a cupcake. If you want, substitute miniature chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips.
This recipe was featured as part of our Easy Weeknight Dinner menu.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or corn oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- Powdered sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, coat the paper with butter, and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and set aside.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla, and mix until evenly blended. Add the flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Add in the butterscotch chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2 inches apart (alternatively, you can use a 1/4-cup measuring cup). Using a thin metal spatula, smooth the tops of the mounds.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
I think these would work well as muffins. I decided at the last minute to make an extra half recipe of these cookies and had to improvise a bit because I didn't have quite enough sugar. Instead of 1.5 cups of sugar, I used a scant 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 plus a little extra brown sugar, an a scant 1/2 cup of maple syrup. To compensate for the extra liquid, I didn't increase the egg and added a bit less oil. The result is DELICIOUS. Wow. So yeah, they aren't crunchy *cookies* but they're delightfully soft and delish.
Looking at the recipe once again, it resembles a "quick bread" or muffin batter. Wondering if anyone else has had the same thought. I am strongly tempted to experiment and bake off this batter as 6 Texas sized muffins.
I just made these, and they're pretty good! However, the only butterscotch chips available at my local grocery store were the store's brand. They taste a little overly sweet. I am going to veganize a batch for a friend and I'm going to use hazelnuts instead of the chips (and silken tofu instead of the eggs), and I expect those to be a little less cloying.
You are so right lotuskitty! I tried the crisping technique, and did not achieve my usual success.
I made these, and I can't praise them enough. They are simple, delicious, cakey delights. I followed the recipe exactly, using the ice cream scoop, and they turned out perfectly. I used chocolate chips instead of butterscotch, and added pecans. I recommend that, but there's no way that JeffW's crisping technique will work on these. They're very fluffy.
I made the recipe as it is written but then... instead of making cookies I dropped heaping spoonfuls into mini-muffin pans and baked as per the recipe. They are lovley! I think I'll top them with a little sour cream or cream cheese frosting. Tastes like Autumn!
Having not tried this recipe "yet" (it's on my to do list), I cannot vouch for the following technique I've invented, to work or not. I call the following my "crisp cookie technique". Our little family of two tends to enjoy cookies that are crunchy all the way through, so here's what I do: I follow a cookie recipe completely, and bake them for the minimum time called for. When the timer beeps, I fully open the oven door, but I do not remove the pan of cookies from the oven. Immediately I re-set the temperature for 275º. It may take a few minutes, but eventually the pre-heat light to my oven will cycle on, when the temperature drops below 275º. When the pre-heat light eventually turns on, I close the oven door, turn off the oven, and then let the cookies cool absolutely completely inside the oven. No fears of burnt bottomed cookies, and we've been enjoying lots of crispy cookies! I've never experienced dried out cookies---only buttery, crispy ummmazing treats. For those out there who might not be as anal as I am (don't know anyone who is), I guess you can forget all about re-setting temperatures and waiting for pre-heat lights to cycle on. I suppose when the cookies are done, you could open the oven door, turn off the oven, and then in about 3-5 minutes, shut the oven door, and let cool as above. As I've read that this pumpkin cookie recipe is very cake like, I am not sure if the technique will work or not---but I'm gonna give it a go! Cheers hounds P.S. Only recently have I delved into the recipe area within Chowhound---some really tasty offerings, wouldn't you say?
The comments above notwithstanding, the women in my apartment (3 at the time I made this recipe) loved it. They were all gone in 2 days. Yes, they are more cake-like than crispy cookies, but noone seemed to mind.
Still not a big fan of the recipe but thought I should offer some suggestions in case others want to make it. I used unsweetened pumpkin filling, which might differ mightilly from the recommended '1 cup canned pumpkin'. As my major complaint was about the texture--too airy and insubstantial, I like a cookie with a little heft--perhaps the problem was with the pumpkin ingredient used. Good luck!
I just made this recipe--not as good as they are made out to be. Very muffin-top like, not very cookie-like. I love chocolate chip cookies and they are not being replaced by this recipe anytime fast. As a matter of fact, they were pretty gross.