Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies

I love baking with pumpkin puree especially during the Fall and Winter season.  Pumpkin Spice Drops are one my favorite cookies but I was in ready for a crunchy cookie packed with the spicy pumpkin cookie flavors.  These shortbread cookies do the trick with their spicy snap. They are especially delicious topped with Penuche Icing.

Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

½ cup butter, 113g

⅓ cup powdered sugar, 34g

1⅛ cup flour, 135g

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup decadent pumpkin butter, 135g (see recipe below)

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the pumpkin butter and powdered sugar.

Add cool brown butter and vanilla and mix to fully incorporated. 
Whisk together flour, salt and spices in a small bowl.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Roll into log and wrap in plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper.
Freeze for 10-15 minutes or refrigerate until ready to bake.

Roll dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick between parchment.
Use a cutter of your choice to cut out cookies. 
Roll scraps and repeat process.

Place cookies on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Remove cookies and let cool on rack.

Glaze cookies, if desired.

Recipe Adapted from ibakesheshoots.com 

Pumpkin Butter Stove Top Method

Makes about 2 cups

1 large can pumpkin puree, 29 ounces

1 3/4 cups brown sugar

Mix pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large pan set to medium high heat.

Stir every 2 minutes or as needed.

After 20 minutes, turn heat to medium low and stir more frequently.

The pumpkin butter is ready when it has turned a deep orange-brown color and been reduced by about 40%.

Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Recipe Adapted from ibakesheshoots.com

Pumpkin Butter Crock Pot Method

Makes about 2 cups

2 15 ounce cans or 1 large can of pumpkin puree

1 ¾ cup packed brown sugar

Mix sugar and puree together in crock pot.

Cook on low for 6 hours until thickened.

Penuche Icing

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

4 tablespoons, 1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup light cream or evaporated milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon rum

In a double boiler over simmering water stir until smooth butter, brown sugar, salt and cream.

Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla or rum until icing is smooth and spreadable.

Ice cookies cooled cookies by spooning a tablespoon of icing in the middle of each cookie and spread slightly. 

The icing will run over the edges if spread too close to the edges.

Scottish Shortbread

One great solace to me when I was in my twenties and working at a job that didn't suit me was afternoon earl grey tea and Walker's Scottish shortbread. I would gaze at my photo of cloudy green Ireland (I was having a hard time adjusting to the desert), sip my tea and find peace. It was my sort of mediation with the aroma of the earl grey and the buttery flavor of the shortbread.  I was able to face the remainder of the day and the car drive home in the impossibly hot blazing sun. 

I have wanted to make Scottish shortbread forever and I am glad I did - these were delicious. They had a nice crumb, dry but not excessively, a buttery aroma. Very nice. Bring back tea time!

Scottish Shortbread

1-3/4 all purpose flour

1/4 rice flour

2/3 sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup of cold butter cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 425F

Mix flours and sugar and salt at low speed in stand mixer. Coat butter pieces with some of the flour mixture then add to dry mixture. Mix on low until it dough is like damp crumbs.

Fluff mixture and add to a 8" round that lined with a parchment round and greased. Flatten surface of dough with another 8' round pan. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen. Invert onto a parchment covered sheet pan. Cut a circle out in the center (remove center circle but keep the metal cutter in the center while baking).

Bake for 20 minutes at 300F (turn oven down when place cookie in). Remove cookie and score into wedges and pierce with design, return cookie to oven and bake for 40 minute or until done. Remove cutter from center, sprinkle with sugar and cut wedges along score marks. Cool on wire rack.