Pumpkin Goes Puffy

Generally, I'm opposed to puffy cookies.  I think cake should be soft and moist while cookies should be chewy or (as in the case of shortbread) crisp and buttery.  I am, however, willing to make a few exceptions.  Half-moons, for example, along with whoopie pies, are intrinsically puffy and amazingly tasty (but that's another post).  Today?  Today, I write of a recent addition to my puff party: the pumpkin cookie.

The recipe in question hails from the November 2007 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.  I think it comes down to the fact that I can be seduced by just about anything pumpkin.  Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies proved impossible to resist.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.
4. When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Literate Baker notes:  I used my small ice cream scoop and ended up with 28 cookies.

A very soft, very orange dough.

The puff in action.

Fitting your baggie in a glass makes for easy filling.

Have fun with your drizzle.

 These are really good.  I did find, however, that the quality started to go down fairly quickly after the first day.  The solution?  Eat them all at once.  Or, you know, share.  I wouldn't say that I've converted to a puffy cookie kind of person, but there's nothing wrong with a little departure now and then.  It's one more way to...

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