I love pumpkin pie and I love cookies, so this pumpkin pie cookie is the perfect hybrid for the season. Flakey, sugary pie crust enveloping velvety pumpkin pie filling—it's a lovely little treat to make and share. Prepare these for Halloween with jack-o-lantern faces, or as pumpkins for Thanksgiving, or any other way you like.
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
1 batch of perfect pie crust (or a store bought crust) 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4 packed brown sugar 1 egg yolk 1/8 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon water Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk, cream and sugar together. Add the egg mixture to the pumpkin mixture and combine thoroughly. On a floured surface, roll out pie crust to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter and cut individual shapes. You'll need two for each cookie. Use a sharp paring knife to cut vents or shapes into half of the pumpkin shapes. Place solid pumpkin shapes on a prepared cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk an egg yolk with water to create an egg wash. Brush some of the egg wash around the perimeter of the base of the solid pumpkins. Place a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin filling in the center of the pumpkin shape. Place the vented top crust of the cookie on top, matching up the edges. Seal the two crusts together with a little bit of pressure around the perimeter. Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the entire surface of the top crust and sprinkle the entire top liberally with sugar. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and top crust is bubbly. Makes 8-12 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. HINT: Wouldn't these be ideal as Thanksgiving placeholders? You could carve each person's initials into each cookie!