Little Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies on a pedestal tray.

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Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies are a delicious fall treat that is perfect right through the Christmas season. These little gems are filled with canned pumpkin, studded with tiny currants then dipped in an icing glaze making them ideal for any holiday cookie tray.

Tips For Making Gluten Free Cookies

In the past year I’ve learned a lot about baking gluten free cookies and have shared all that in this post, Tips For Making Gluten Free Cookies. Writing my yearlong blog series on How To Use different gluten free flours inspired me to try new recipes and experiment. What I have learned is that mastering the art of gluten free cookie baking requires more than just learning about different flours. Compared to muffins cookies have a different ratio of fat to liquid and they cook more quickly. If you are remaking old recipes gluten free or need to make some tweak to improve your results here are a few tips.

  • decrease some of the fat,
  • add milk or other liquid to make up for the above,
  • let your cookie dough rest so the starches absorb the liquid and you don’t get that gritty taste,
  • choose cookie recipes that include either or both, brown rice flour and almond flour.
Tips For Making Gluten Free Cookies
Tips For Making Gluten Free Cookies -photo credit Jim Little

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Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies – A Seasonal Strategy

For me Christmas is cookie baking season. I think everyone should have a list, long or short, of homemade cookies they love to bake, eat and share. We all look forward to the special treats that have been served among family and friends for years. Does your list include shortbread cookies, butter tarts or mincemeat tarts? Perhaps toffee squares, hello dollies or white chocolate candy cane popcorn.

Whatever is on that list you can record it somewhere so you remember to make your favourites every year. Only include the best recipes and if you adore pumpkin add these Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies to your list.

Get The Tools

And speaking of lists if you have a cookie lover on your Christmas list one of my favourite kitchen tools are the various sized ice cream scoops. They make portioning cookies and muffins a breeze and the consistent size ensures even baking. Use them for anything from dishing up ice cream to making meatballs.

Standard baking pans are a part of every kitchen and can last for decades. It takes time to collect good quality pans but it’s worth the effort in the long run. Pay attention to the pans and sizes that you like and that work well for you. I suggest you work toward a collection like this so you can bake items like cookies, brownies, muffins and an occasional cake. Some of them can be used for savoury dishes too.

Scooping up cookie dough for Snickerdoodles
Scooping up cookie dough for Snickerdoodles -photo credit Jim Little

Let me know in the comments below what Christmas cookies you have successfully remade gluten free.

More Pumpkin Recipes and Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

1¼ cups gluten free flour (I use my Cookie flour blend**)
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp salt
½ cup dried currants
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup butter, room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 egg
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
BROWNED BUTTER ICING
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1½ cups icing sugar
3-4 Tbsp whipping cream
(**Cookie flour blend, makes 1¼ cups: ⅔ cup brown rice flour, ¼ cup ground almonds, 3 Tbsp potato starch, 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp tapioca starch, ¼ tsp xanthan gum)

Directions

1
In a medium bowl, sift together brown rice flour, ground almonds, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, spices and salt. Set aside.
2
In a small bowl toss currants and walnuts. Set aside.
3
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium high speed.
4
Add the brown sugar and honey beating until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
5
Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined then decrease speed to low.
6
Slowly add the flour mixture until it is all incorporated. Add currants and walnuts.
7
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
8
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with baking parchment or a reusable baking sheet.
9
Using a small metal scoop drop mounds of cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15-18 minutes.
10
Set cookie sheet on wire cooling rack and cool for 2-3 minutes. Then slide the parchment directly onto the wire racks and allow cookies to cool completely. They can be frosted as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
11
BROWNED BUTTER ICING
12
In a small saucepan melt butter until it foams. Reduce heat to low letting the butter brown, 2-3 minutes.
13
Remove pan from stove and stir in icing sugar.
14
Add half the cream stirring to make a glaze, adding more cream until desired consistency.

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Ingredients

Directions
  • 1¼ cups gluten free flour (I use my Cookie flour blend**)
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ½ cup dried currants
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
  • BROWNED BUTTER ICING
  • 2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups icing sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp whipping cream
  • (**Cookie flour blend, makes 1¼ cups: ⅔ cup brown rice flour, ¼ cup ground almonds, 3 Tbsp potato starch, 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp tapioca starch, ¼ tsp xanthan gum)
  1. In a medium bowl, sift together brown rice flour, ground almonds, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, spices and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl toss currants and walnuts. Set aside.
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium high speed.
  4. Add the brown sugar and honey beating until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined then decrease speed to low.
  6. Slowly add the flour mixture until it is all incorporated. Add currants and walnuts.
  7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
  8. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with baking parchment or a reusable baking sheet.
  9. Using a small metal scoop drop mounds of cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15-18 minutes.
  10. Set cookie sheet on wire cooling rack and cool for 2-3 minutes. Then slide the parchment directly onto the wire racks and allow cookies to cool completely. They can be frosted as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
  11. BROWNED BUTTER ICING
  12. In a small saucepan melt butter until it foams. Reduce heat to low letting the butter brown, 2-3 minutes.
  13. Remove pan from stove and stir in icing sugar.
  14. Add half the cream stirring to make a glaze, adding more cream until desired consistency.