Soft pumpkin cookies

Soft and fluffy pumpkin cookies that simply melt in your mouth. These tender, cake-like bakes are packed with cosy autumn flavours – almost like little bites of pumpkin cake. A light icing and a glass of milk on the side make them even more irresistible.

Makes 30 cookies.

Ingredients for the soft pumpkin cookies:

• 115 g butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• a pinch of salt

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, spices and salt — then fold gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the tray, leaving 3 – 4 cm between each one. Lightly dampen the back of a spoon or your hand with water and gently flatten the cookies slightly.

Bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies have risen and are lightly golden underneath. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Ice the cookies, then finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon.

Ingredients for the icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 – 3 Tbsp hot water
• cinnamon, for sprinkling

Using the back of a spoon, mix until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a little water; if it’s too runny, add a little more icing sugar and stir again.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: “Food and Wine”.