Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

I wanted to post these cookies on Saturday. I wanted them to herald in the start of October. To celebrate fall, finally. But my head and my heart just weren’t in it (but my hands were in a bag of Salted Caramel Popcorn). I was busy feeling sorry for myself; thinking that because I was happy doing what everyone else wasn’t I was somehow missing out. I was missing the point.

I worked hard on these cookies, making over 200 for an event in my dorm this past weekend. Everyone that ate them was impressed and intrigued. And I felt accomplished and reassured. I had done a good job. They look like regular snickerdoodles, but they don’t taste like regular snickerdoodles. They taste better.

Just look at those flecks of pumpkin-y sweetness.

The substitution of pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon didn’t seem like much. And it wasn’t, it was just enough. Enough to ring in fall. Enough to be balanced, perfectly spicy and sweet. Enough to make me feel like I was finally fulfilling my duty as a baker, without having to relinquish the death grip on my precious cans of pumpkin. (I feel like I have become Gollum. Canned pumpkin = the Ring).

Pumpking Pie Spice Snickerdoodles (makes about 32 cookies, adapted from AllRecipes)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 ¾ cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ TBSP pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy and fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.

Working in three batches, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Again, be sure to scrap the bowl as necessary.

In a large zip top bag add ¼ cup sugar and the pumpkin pie spice. Close bag and shake well to mix.

Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon in balls and drop into bag. 

Shake bag until the cookie is evenly coated.

Place cookies two inches apart on baking sheets at bake for 8-10 minutes until tops of cookies are cracked and edges are just set.

Remove from oven and let cool on pan for two minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. 

My precious(es).