Debbie Smith’s Pumpkin Cookies

One of my favorite things of all time is receiving recipes. Whether it’s a box of old recipes or someone gifts me with one from their collection, it’s better than receiving almost any other kind of gift. Being given a recipe is like I was given an invitation to a flavor adventure and a peek into family memories.

Yesterday, a friend and regular baking student, Debbie Smith gifted me with her recipe for Pumpkin Cookies. Obviously I needed to make them immediately and share them with you! Y’all. These are YUM!!

With a cake-like texture, rich pumpkin-y flavor, and filled with nuts and raisins, I would almost consider these a breakfast food. Now, whether you’re a fan of nuts and raisins or not (raisins tend to be a bit controversial), you could always replace them with something else like dried cranberries and white chocolate. But seriously. Just try them this way first. They’re delicious!

Thank you so much for sharing these, Debbie!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C corn oil
1 large egg
2 C sifted bread flour
1 C pumpkin puree
1 C raisins (golden or regular…..or cranberries)
1/2 C walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
12/ tsp ground cloves

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer, lightly whip together egg and corn oil. Once blended, add sugar and mix well.

Mix together spices, salt, and baking soda and add to egg, oil, and sugar and combine.

Add pumpkin puree and mix well.

Sift in bread flour and mix just until flour is incorporated. do not over-mix. Add in nuts and raisins, stirring by hand to combine.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Using a small cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tbsp), scoop dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Can be enjoyed warm.

NOTE: if using a larger cookie scoop, increase baking time to 15-18 minutes. to ensure they’re cooked all the way through.