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Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Blotted Pumpkin and Cream of Tartar Tang

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles stay dense and chewy instead of turning into little cakes, and the trick is blotting the puree dry before it ever meets the flour. Melted butter keeps the crumb tight, cream of tartar brings the sharp tang and crackled top a real snickerdoodle needs, and a heavy roll in cinnamon sugar crusts the edges as they bake.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 17 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling, blotted dry to about 1/2 cup
  • 2.75 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, about 12 oz
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar do not skip or substitute
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if you have it
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly, 1.5 sticks
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg yolk white discarded or saved for another use
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating

Equipment

  • 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl
  • 1 small shallow bowl for the cinnamon sugar
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 wire cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Spread the pumpkin puree in a thin layer over a double thickness of paper towels. Press more paper towels firmly on top, lift them away, and repeat with fresh towels until the paper comes away nearly dry. You should be left with roughly 1/2 cup of dense, dry puree. Do not rush this.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
  4. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the blotted pumpkin, beating until the mixture is uniform and no streaks remain.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour is visible. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky. Do not overmix.
  6. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. The dough must be firm enough to roll without sticking to your palms.
  7. Heat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small shallow bowl.
  8. Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball between your palms. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon sugar, turning it two or three times so it is fully and heavily coated.
  9. Arrange the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, 12 per sheet. Do not flatten them.
  10. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy.
  11. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will settle and firm into a chewy center with a crisp edge. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Blot the pumpkin seriously. Spread it on paper towels, press fresh towels on top, and repeat until the paper lifts away almost dry. This is the single step that separates chewy from cakey.
  • Use pure pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
  • Spoon flour into the cup and level it with a knife, or weigh it at 12 ounces. Scooping packs in too much and dries the dough.
  • Save the egg white for scrambled eggs. The puree does the binding work here, so only the yolk goes in.
  • Pull the cookies while the centers still look underbaked. They firm up on the hot sheet.
  • Store in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze portioned dough balls up to 3 months and bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes.
  • Good alongside hot coffee or a mug of cider if you are serving them as an afternoon thing.