With the weather turning cold, I always get in the mood to bake. So I wanted to share my Slice of Pumpkin Pie Cookies with y'all! These are always a hit at any holiday gathering, and they are actually pretty easy to make.
DIRECTIONS:
Start with a fresh batch of sugar cookie dough- I have attached my "tried & true" recipe below. Roll it out into a large round circle, then trace a circle out with a pie pan, remove the extra dough and place it back in the fridge to use later. Then cut your dough up into sections, as you would a pie. **Make note of the width of your slices**
Bake according to recipe below.
FOR THE "CRUST":
Cut small strips the same width of your slices and about a 1/2" high then crimp them as you would a regular pie crust. After crimping, reshape them back into a curve so that they will fit on top of the cookie after you ice them.
Bake according to recipe below.
While your cookies are cooling, make your "pumpkin pie filling"- which is just Royal Icing, see the recipe below. Save about 3/4 cup of plain white royal icing. This will be your "whipped cream" on top of the cookie. Add orange food coloring to the remainder of the icing until you have the desired color. I also add a little cinnamon to the frosting (for this recipe ONLY) it makes them taste a little more like "fall" and the specks of cinnamon make the frosting look like real pumpkin.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Outline & flood your bottom piece of cookie, and set aside to dry. Do the same with the rest of the bottom pieces. Then add your "crusts" by piping a little royal icing under the crust and set on top of the already frosted pie slices. Then pipe the white royal icing, that you set aside, on top in a circular motion, and Voilà! You've got the cutest lil pumpkin pie cookies that all your friends will love!
This is the BEST, and ONLY, sugar cookie recipe I ever use! I got it from Susan Carberry, Cake Artist extraordinaire, and owner of The Cake Cottage, in Murrieta, California. She has amazing classes and they carry a huge array of cake supplies. Check out her shop.
Her website can be found here. Her Facebook Fan page can be found here.
SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
MAKES APPROX. 3 DOZEN 5" COOKIES
2 CUPS UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
2 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR, I LIKE BAKERS SUGAR
2 EGGS
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
2 TSP LEMON EXTRACT ( OR FLAVOR OF CHOICE)
**hint** I use Vanilla and Almond extract in my cookies, and lemon extract in my icing, and people LOVE it and can't quit figure out what it is!
6 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
3 TSP BAKING POWDER
1 TSP SALT
Directions: In at least a 5 qt. mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter & the sugar until fluffy. Then add the eggs, mix. Add vanilla and lemon extract, mix.
In a seperate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Gradually add to the butter mixture until incorporated. Scrape bowl and mix until dough comes together.
They say- whoever "they" is, that you should wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour...but, I never do. I'm too impatient for that! So I take out a small amount and start cutting, and put the remainder in to chill while I'm working.
** Another Great TIP** Roll out cookies on parchment paper, cut shapes leaving space between the cookies, remove the excess dough from in between the shapes, leaving the cut shapes on the paper. Then, simply move the parchment with the cookies onto a cookie sheet.
When you've been working with the dough for a bit, it starts to warm up, so I put it back in the fridge and get out some of the colder dough. This helps keep the "spreading" of the cookie to a minimum.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for a regular oven or 300-325 degrees for a convection oven and bake, between 8-11 minutes until golden brown. I find it usually takes approx. 8 minutes!
ROYAL ICING RECIPE
MAKES 3 CUPS
4 cups POWDERED SUGAR
3 tablespoons meringue powder
½ TSP extract lemon
1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water
DIRECTIONS: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water.
To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.
The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
Even though this is the LONGEST post ever...
Here are some other design ideas for Fall/Harvest sugar cookies...
I'd LOVE to see your Fall cookies, share them with me! Happy Baking!
