Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Cookies



pumpkin pecan raisin cookies watermark
I know it’s only August, and in a previous post I may have promised I wouldn’t bring out the pumpkin recipes until Fall.

I lied.

Our mornings already have a crisp feel to them, and the corn is almost ready to pick, so I hereby officially declare it…pumpkin everything season

I’ve made pumpkin cookies for years (they’re a big time favorite in my family) but made a few little changes to the recipe today and loved them even more, if that’s possible. The recipe for the icing is very generous, because – well – it “evaporates”. Or something. Let’s just say it disappears before your very eyes, and leave it at that, OK?

You know how I always give you photo after photo of preparation instructions? I’m taking a wild guess that you can beat ingredients together and scoop dough onto a cookie sheet without looking at pictures. If you’re new to this baking business and need help, check out some of my other cookies recipes…most of the steps are very similar.

In other words, I was in a hurry when I was making these, and forgot to take pictures. Sigh. I’ll be making them again in a couple of weeks for my guys to take hunting, but I don’t want you to have to wait that long!

Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Cookies
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Delightful, soft cookies that are soft and delicate, but rich and flavorful. Makes 3 dozen.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped (please toast them...it adds flavor!)
  • ICING:
  • 1½ cups brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1¼ - 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • Pecan halves for decorating, if desired
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
  3. Mix in the egg and pumpkin and beat well. It may look a little curdled - that's normal.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined.
  5. Stir in the raisins and toasted pecans.
  6. Using a cookie scoop (or a rounded tablespoon) scoop balls of dough about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  7. Bake approximately 12 minutes. Cookies should be just showing a little brown around the bottom edges. Place baking sheet on cooling rack for a few minutes, and then transfer cookies to the rack to finish cooling.
  8. To make the icing:
  9. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  10. Stir in the vanilla and 1¼ cups powdered sugar. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if necessary. Icing should be just thick enough to spread on the top of each cookie without dripping down the sides.
  11. Put a generous dollop of icing on each cookie and top with a pecan if desired. Be careful - icing is very hot! If the icing thickens too much to work with, reheat gently on low heat, adding a little milk if needed.
  12. Store cookies in an airtight container.

 

Boiling the icing

Boiling the icing

Whisk in the powdered sugar

Whisk in the powdered sugar

So it begins. My pumpkins are taking their sweet time this year, and I’m guessing they might not be ripe before the first freeze. Luckily, I have no problem using solid-pack pumpkin. I freeze any unused portion, so nothing goes to waste. I guess I’d better stock up, because it’s going to be nothing but pumpkin recipes on Facebook and Pinterest for the next 4 months!

Works for me!
Lorinda

Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Cookie, from The Rowdy Baker

 

9 thoughts on “Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Cookies

  1. These look mighty tasty . . . any time of year! btw when I glanced at the last cookie photo I thought I saw pumpkin cinnamon rolls. My mistake, but perhaps an idea for a future recipe?

    • My pumpkins are still green…not looking good for homemade pumpkin this year. I hate to rush time, but cooler temperatures would be nice 🙂

          • Waiting for fresh pumpkin to make an appearance this season – cause my country’s retail bosses don’t think they should carry cans, you know?
            I definitely want to try and make them!
            Thanks for confirming. Always having a hard time with sticks, cups, ounces…

  2. These are really tasty! I did make a couple of changes by splitting the flour into 1/2 Gluten Free and 1/2 wheat. The second change was to split the sugar 1/2 white and 1/2 brown, my last change was to add sliced almonds instead of pecans and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
    They are light, fluffy and delicious. A great base recipe to play with!

    • Yay, Cory! Glad you liked them. I thought about chocolate chips, but didn’t want to mess with tradition. Bet they were yummy that way though.

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