Thumbprint Pumpkin Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine cookie mix, hot water and butter. Stir in pumpkin. In a small bowl, whisk flour and pie spice; gradually stir into mixture. Shape dough into 1-in. balls., Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb. Bake until set, 6-8 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into center of each cookie. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg until combined. Add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
• Mix the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (each ball should be a heaping tablespoon; you should have about 18 balls), then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Divide the dough balls between 2 baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to indent the centers of each dough ball, pinching together any large cracks that form (a few small cracks are fine). Refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Bake until the cookies just begin to warm through, about 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to indent the centers just a little more. Return them to the oven, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back, and bake until the cookies are set and slightly browned on the bottom, an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the pecan crumble: Meanwhile, microwave the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the pecans, brown sugar, oats and pumpkin pie spice. Microwave until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool in the bowl until the crumble is crunchy, about 30 minutes.
• For the pumpkin pie filling: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, pumpkin puree, cream cheese, vanilla extract and fine salt in a small bowl until smooth.
• Assemble the cookies: Once the cookies are cool, spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each cookie and smooth the top if needed. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the filling. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; mist with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; add the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.
• Drop tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes, then remove from the oven and make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the back of a teaspoon. Return to the oven, switching the position of the pans, and bake until set, 4 to 6 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt; beat until incorporated. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip; pipe into the indentations. Dust with cinnamon.

Steps:

• Make the cookie dough:
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Mix briefly with a fork to combine and set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment over medium/high speed, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 2 parts and mix until just combined. Fold in the pecans, folding the cookie dough onto itself with a spatula to incorporate all the dry bits.
• Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• As the dough chills, make the pumpkin pie filling.
• Make the pumpkin pie filling:
• To a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a hand mixer works well here too), add the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, spices, and vanilla extract. Whisk on medium until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the confectioners' sugar is mostly combined, then increase the speed to high and mix until smooth. Transfer the pumpkin pie filling to piping bag fitted a decorative or round tip, cover the tip with plastic wrap, and place piping bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Bake the cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and remove cookie dough from the freezer.
• With a small cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Place cookies in the oven and bake for about 12-14 minutes until lightly browned, rotating pan midway through to ensure even baking.
• Remove cookies from the oven and with a cookie scoop make an indentation in the middle of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool slightly in the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Fill the cookies:
• Remove piping bag from the refrigerator. Fill indentation of each cookie with pumpkin pie filling. Allow the filling to set in a cool place for about 30 minutes. When the filling sets it should feel tacky to the touch.