Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies start with my viral soft frosted sugar cookie recipe and are topped with orange vanilla buttercream, sparkling sanding sugar and a chocolate chip stem. They're soft, chewy and surprisingly simple to decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving or any fall celebration.
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream or milk room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- orange food dye
- orange sanding sugar
- 18 semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and mix on low until just incorporated. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix on low just until everything is incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into 18 balls and place them 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using the flat bottom of a glass, gently press each ball of dough until it is approximately ¼–½ inch thick. The cookies should remain round there's no need for a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. I dip the bottom of my glass into powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to the dough!
- Bake for 10–11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Don't wait for the cookies to turn golden brown or they may be over baked. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
For the frosting:
- While the cookies cool, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Add the heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is smooth and reaches a thick, pipeable consistency. Add orange food coloring and mix until the buttercream reaches your desired pumpkin-orange color.
To decorate:
- Pour a generous amount of orange sanding sugar into a shallow bowl or plate. Once the cookies are completely cool, scoop a mound of orange buttercream into the center of each cookie.
- Turn the cookie frosting-side down and gently press the buttercream directly into the orange sanding sugar. The pressure will spread and flatten the buttercream across the surface of the cookie while completely coating it in sanding sugar.
- Lift the cookie from the sanding sugar and, if needed, gently shape the frosting into a rounded pumpkin shape. Press a semisweet chocolate chip into the top of the buttercream to create the pumpkin stem. Repeat with the remaining cookies and serve.