Soft Spiced Pumpkin Cookies





    بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِارَّحْمَنِ ارَّحِيم
    السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

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    While most of you out there are in Winter Wonderland Christmas mode, here in Algeria we're still enjoying Autumn-like weather.

    Now, when it comes to Autumn – I always feel like there’s 2 groups of people: the ones rejoicing for the cooler temperatures and all the beautiful changes. And the other ones who dread the end of summer. I typically fall into the first category. I love Autumn because it’s the perfect excuse for me to get back in the kitchen and start baking.

    Another thing I love about Autumn and the un-Winter-like weather here in Algeria, we have 2 growing seasons, where we can enjoy fava beans and peas way before everyone else up north, YET still enjoy the delicious yummy flavors of Autumn,  like apples, sweet potatoes, apples, quince .... and pumpkin. And when pumpkin is in season, I go crazy trying new and delicious ways to enjoy it. Qnd why wouldn't I, it's a Sunnah food. 

    So far I've made pumpkin pie, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin latte, various types of pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin hash and even a pumpkin confiture. All of which I'll do my best to share with all of you as soon as I can.

    I originally made these cookies with an Algerian spice blend also used in Tamina, called H"rour. Since it"s not sold outside of Algeria, I've broken down the basic spice blend so others may be able makes these. As per my knowledge, if it's used in a spice blend with no more than 20% content it's allowed. God knows best. If you have more information, that I do or are dubious, please just omit it from the recipe. Ginger is the main flavoring ingredients here, anyways.

    Today, however I'd like to share a special soft pillowy treat with you. I will admit they don't look like much, but believe what they lack in looks, they make up for in flavor. I would almost call these healthy since I've used homemade pumpkin, not canned, swapped much of the refined sugar for natual honey, and used whole wheat flour instead of white. I used 2 tablespoons of spices here, which is a pretty hefty amount, but it robustly flavors the entire batch of cookies very nicely, without being overdone. If you are more sensitive to spices, you may wish to dial down the amount.

    The dough MUST be chilled before baking, no exceptions. It’s a scientific impossibility to take warm dough and have it bake up into thick, puffy cookies. Warm dough is limp and spreads much more while baking. Chill your dough if you want puffy cookies, period.



    So let's get started with the recipe.



    Soft Spiced Pumpkin Cookies 


    These puffy little lightweight pumpkin pillows are supremely spiced yet delicate and melt-in your-mouth tender. 


    cookies| yields about 30 cookies
    KITCHEN TIME 🕓  
    ACTIVE PREP TIME: 20mins
    INACTIVE PREP TIME: 2 hrs
    COOK TIME: 10 min mins
    ۞ = SUBSTITUTIONS

    ---



     400g - 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, type 160
    ‣ 2 tsp corn starch (maïzena)
    ‣ 1 tablespoons cinnamon
    ‣ 115g - 1/3 cup honey (I used orange blossom)
    ‣ 1 large egg
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1/2 cup granulated sugar
    ‣2 tsp vanilla
    ‣ 1/4 tsp salt 
    ‣ 150g - 1/2 cup melted butter
    ‣ 340g -1 1/2 cups chilled pumpkin puree 


    METHOD 

    1.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
    2. Cream the sugar, butter and egg with handheld mixer or stand mixer for about 5 minutes.  Do not shortcut the creaming process; make sure dough is very light in color and fluffy, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pumpkin puree, honey, spices, vanilla, and beat until combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
    4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and gradually add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
    5. Flouring your take the dough and form into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
    6. Preheat oven to 180°C - 350°F, line your baking sheets with parhcment paper or use a silicon pad.
    7. Take out the dough from the fridge and roll into about 2 TBS balls (about the size of 2 of your thumbs put together). Remember to make enough space between the cookies, as the dough is will expand. 
    8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool. 
    9.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and eating. 



      Storage
      ⇝ Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.You can store this dish in a food-safe container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. I wouldn't recommend freezing cauliflower as it would be very mushy once reheated.

      Variation
      ⇝ Nutmeg has been called unlawful to Muslims by some scholars. As per my understanding, if in a spice blend it's premissible, if less than 20% of the total spices used. Allahu Allem. If you're unsure about this, just simply omit the nutmeg altogether.

      ⇝ For another interesting snickerdoodle-esque appearance roll the dough into cinnamon sugar before baking.

      Subsitutions
      ⇝ You can easily sub brown sugar in this recipe, 250g - 1 cup, if you don't have honey on hand. And also regular all purpose flour for the whole wheat flour.

       CATEGORIES:  vegetarian, vegan, healthier, autumn, cookies



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              2 comments:

              1. assalamu alaykum sister...nutmeg is haram. is there any other spice i can replace it with?

                ReplyDelete
                Replies
                1. Waleikoum salaam dear sister,
                  BarakAllahu fiki for stopping by and commenting. As per my understanding nutmeg is allowed if it is a part of a spice blend to improve food. In amounts no more than 20% of the total blend. Nutmeg is also sold in Algeria alone, ground and whole form.

                  Many spice blends include it such as pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice H'rour and Garam Masala.
                  Allahu allem

                  You can easily omit the nutmeg in the recipe. The main spice is ginger.

                  Delete



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