Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

First there was Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cake (yum), then there was Pumpkin Pound Cake (delish), and now I bring you Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies because Badger Kitchen is currently chugging along on a pumpkin sweets train this month.

You know how there are those special moments in life that are just so memorable that you'll never forget?  I remember picking out our family dog because my sister and I decided he had the softest fur and getting to have him sit on my lap for half the ride home (sharing is caring).  I remember getting engaged and crying my eyes out for a good ten minutes afterwards.  I also remember the first time I baked and ate pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies in my college apartment on a crisp October.

Being the good daughter I am (and because my parents lived 20 minutes away so I'd go home to do laundry), I took my mom a couple of cookies to enjoy and shared the recipe upon request.  It then got shared with Gramma, sisters, aunts and so on.  And now here I am sharing it with you!

To say that these cookies are life changing isn't too far from the truth.  They are superior to the average snickerdoodle cookie thanks to the added pumpkin and spices.  The additional moisture from the pumpkin puree also keeps the cookies chewy, which is good if you're not a fan of hard cookies like me.

The original recipe that I found is so good that has received such rave reviews that I've never felt the need to alter it.  The only change I make is that sometimes I will add a little more pumpkin than the recipe calls for, depending on if I'm in a super pumpkiney mood or not.  Oh, and don't discriminate, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies can be enjoyed year round!

Enjoy!
Kelsey

Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (increase to 1 or 1 1/4 cups if desired)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or different large bowl to be used for mixing) cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, or about two minutes.  Beat in egg.  Then beat in pumpkin puree.  Add dry ingredients from separate bowl and slowly beat in.
4. In a separate small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
5. Form dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated.  Space apart evenly on baking sheet.
6. Bake one cookie sheet of cookies at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are starting to brown but centers are still puffy and soft.

Tip: Cookies freeze well either after baking and fully cooled, or in dough ball form without cinnamon-sugar coating.

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out:

• Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Sweet and Salty Sugar Cookies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars