Copycat Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Updated: Aug 14, 2022
Nostalgic, delicious, and festive. It doesn't get much better than that! This recipe is super easy dog I've it a shot and tag me in your creation, @thesqueakymixer ❤️
*NOTE* This recipe and be a little tricky if not followed correctly so make sure to refer to my video here:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup salted butter, softened (you can use unsalted if you wish)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg (*my egg had a double yolk in the video! I still only used one egg*)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 drops of orange gel food coloring (I can't recommend Americolor Food Gel enough! Click here for the link)
1 drop green food coloring
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside.
In a separate bowl (or in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment) mix together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and continue to mix until fully combined and smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. If it helps to combine this using your hands you can do that too!
Once you have a nice dough formed, remove about 3/4 cups of it to dye orange. Next, take out 1 Tbsp. of dough to be dyed green. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl.
Use gloves if you have them to dye the first removed portion of dough orange, then the small amount green. To do this, add a drop of food gel at a time to the dough and work it into the dough until it is evenly distributed and has reached a color that makes you happy :)
Flatten the orange, green, and white dough into a disc and cover tightly with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, starting with the orange dough, roll it out into a log about 1" in diameter. Take a skewer to make an indent along the top of the log to create more of a pumpkin shape.
Next, take the green dough and roll into long skinny pieces and place these pieces along the top of the indent made from the skewer on the pumpkin.
Roll the enter pumpkin log evenly on its sides to help smooth it out after handling it. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and let set in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
While the pumpkin log is in the freezer, roll out the remaining non-colored dough about 1/4" think all the way around.
Place the pumpkin log in the center of the non-colored dough then wrap the rolled out dough around the pumpkin log. You can pinch the seams together to help the two sides meet. It helps to roll this entire log, with the pumpkin shape on the inside, altogether to help shape and smooth everything out. Remember to refer to the video above for more visuals on how to create these cookies, this part can be a bit tricky.
Wrap the entire roll in plastic wrap again and let sit in the freezer while preheating the oven to 375°. While the oven is preheating, prepare a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Once the log has chilled, slice the log into about 1/4" thickness. Place each cookie about 1 1/2" - 2" apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges just barley look brown. We want these nice and soft so as soon as you see a bit of browning on the edges, take them out of the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for an additional 10 minutes on the sheet to firm up a bit/ finish baking and cooling.
Enjoy!! 🎃