All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Sunday, September 7, 2014

pumpkin-raisin cookies !






It is creeping officially toward Fall here - after a few sweltering days, it was time to close the windows at night, and switch from bare feet to socks and sandals.  All I can say is YES!  Time for my favorite pumpkin cookies!

These are fat, plump, soft - and a big handful of spicy delicious cookie.  I like to throw in soft raisins or currants, but you can skip that if you want.  I have made them with chocolate chips, but honestly prefer the raisins - it's really up to you.  And so easy to make!


pumpkin-raisin cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment or foil and set aside.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned One Pie pumpkin puree, NOT sweetened. 
1 extra large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup soft raisins (or you can try chocolate chips)

Measure out the flour and set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugars well, then add the egg, raisins, spices, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin, vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Add the flour slowly and mix just until blended.  Over mixing makes a tough cookie.

Use a regular sized ice cream scoop to scoop out cookies - I do 6 to a sheet, leaving 3 inches between cookies.

Bake one sheet at a time in the upper third of your oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are softly firm when you gently press them.  I made some smaller cookies- the scoop doesn't have a number, but when I measured it was either 2 inches or 1 3/4ths inches - it's hard to measure a round scoop! Anyway, they only took 16 minutes.

Remove cookie sheet to cool a few minutes, then use a spatula to remove cookies to a cooling rack.  Repeat with the second sheet.  This usually makes 13 or 14 big cookies for me.
                                                      *****

Another sign of Autumn?  Finding a huge thicket of wild grapes bordering the local dump area!  Sweet, juicy, delicious - and destined for a soft jelly to serve with roasted chicken.  What a treat!

Happy September!

Want more pumpkin recipes?  
Pumpkin muffins with crystalized ginger
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin-ginger cake





11 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

Again our weather mimics each others:)
Love the gingham and blueberries..but especially those big pillowy cookies.
A yen for cookies hit me yesterday too..So I baked some..nothing quite like home made

katrina said...

Love that word "pillowy" - exactly right, Nana! And those are not blueberries, but the most delicious wild grapes I found - so sweet and juicy, yum, yum!

Every time I make these cookies I think of plump little children's hands sliding over to snatch up a treat:)

Barb said...

You know that fall must be closing in on us because I'm craving pumpkin cookies too. One of my favorites is pumpkin- chocolate chip. I love how fat and "pillowy" these look - this is going on my list to bake soon.

I saw another pumpkin cookie with a cinnamon-sugar -butter frosting that looked tempting too. I'm not a big frosting fan but I may give them try once.

Did you make the grape jelly? And did I read that correctly? With chicken?

katrina said...

Hi Barb! You'll love these cookies, I'm sure - I sure do! Nope, I haven't made the soft jelly yet, but stuck the grapes in the freezer, so I will, I will.
Yes, you read that right - I love a slightly sweet/sour sauce to go with chicken or meats - or even turkey meatballs! If I don't have grapes I use cranberries, oh, yummy!

julie rawat said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Barb said...

Hi again. I hope you'll share your grape jelly sweet/sour sauce when you make it - I'm quite intrigued with the idea.

Thanks so much.

katrina said...

Barb - this is the savory jelly I made before - I imagine I'll make grape jelly much the same - but I'll let you know!: http://shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2013/04/savory-cherry-and-cranberry-jelly-with.html

Barb said...

Katrina, I looked back at the cherry-cranberry jelly post (gorgeous color!) - looks so delicious. My first thought was that grape jelly and chicken was kind of an unusual pairing but then I remembered Chicken Veronique (which I've never had) - a classic combination. Have you ever made that?

katrina said...

Barb - chicken veronique is delicious! I remember when I made it at Le Bocage having to tediously peel all the grapes before making the sauce. I did a quick search for the recipe but didn't see the exact one I was looking for. I'll keep looking and post it for you.

Barb said...

Peeling grapes certainly sounds tedious - I can't imagine how many you would have to do in a restaurant. You must be very good and very speedy doing that job. If you find a recipe that you think is a good choice and post it, I will try it.

(By the way, I noticed your comment back to me was timed 4:07 am - are you really up that early?)

katrina said...

I've found times are always off in the comment section - no, it wasn't 4 am - got up around 6:00am, Barb:)