Thanks a Latte!

That’s what I said to myself once I made these new delicious cookies! In my last post, I shared with you the recipe for one of my favorite pumpkin cookie with a promise for an upgraded version. I like to call these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies because they are

creamy
and spicy
and pumpkiny
with just a hint of coffee, too.

I know what you’re thinking, and I totally agree. These are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up for fall.

I played around a bit to figure out what was the best tasting cookie to me. I tried brewed espresso, instant coffee, and ground espresso. The general consensus with my taste-testers was that people preferred the ground espresso version. So here you go! Bake away!

heart-seminole-pumpkin
A seminole pumpkin, grown in the h.e.a.r.t. garden, makes these cookies especially moist and creamy, but feel free to use canned pumpkin if that’s what you have available.

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 tablespoons of ground espresso
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pie filling; about 1 3/4 cups)

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon half & half, plus more as needed
1/4 tsp vanilla, or more to taste
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or more to taste
1/4 tsp ground espresso, or more to taste

To Make the Cookies:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and ground espresso in a medium bowl to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

3. Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla, return the mixer to medium speed, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the reserved flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the pumpkin and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and pumpkin.

heart-pumpkin-cookie-batter
mmmmmmm…can’t you just smell the spicy pumpkin deliciousness through the screen?!

5. Drop 8 dough rounds per baking sheet by the scant 1/4 cup, staggering them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator.

6. Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back and CONTINUE baking until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges, about 12 minutes more.

7. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula, transfer the cookies to the wire racks to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool to room temperature and then repeat with the remaining dough (you can use the same parchment paper). When all of the cookies are baked, set the pieces of parchment paper aside.

heart-pumpkin-cookie
Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack…if you can wait that long.

For the glaze:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. (You may need to add more milk by the 1/2 teaspoon if the glaze is too thick to drizzle.)

2. Place all of the cooled cookies on the reserved parchment sheets. Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the cookies in a zigzag pattern.

3. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the glaze has set, about 20 minutes.

Makes approximately 32 cookies.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

heart-thanks-a-latte-cookies

thumbnail-Ashley
Post by Ashley Carter