Bigger Bolder Baking: Make Chewy Maple Pumpkin Cookies this fall

These Chewy Maple Pumpkin Cookies from Gemma Stafford’s forthcoming cookbook, “Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day” (HarperCollins, $32.50), tick all the boxes for autumn, from the pumpkin pie spices to the orange squash itself.

You can make your own pumpkin spice mix, of course, and roast and puree a pumpkin, but why not take a shortcut? Stafford uses a ready-made spice mix and canned pumpkin for these cookies. What’s important, though, is the sugar.

“Dark brown sugar is a must to obtain that delicious, rich caramel flavor,” she says. “Dark brown sugar has molasses, which also helps to keep the cookies moist and chewy.”

Her other tips include making the dough up to three days ahead so the flour and sugar have time to absorb the liquid. “Aging your dough helps cookies bake more evenly and stay chewy,” she says.

The other do-ahead tip? This cookie dough freezes beautifully for the holidays. Make the dough, form the scoops and pop them in the freezer. “When you have guests drop by,” Stafford says, “defrost the dough for 10 minutes on a tray, then bake off for freshly baked cookies.”

Chewy Maple Pumpkin Cookies

Makes 15 cookies

COOKIE DOUGH:

1 cup (8 ounces) butter, melted

1½ cups (9 ounces) dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups (11¼ ounce) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

CINNAMON COATING:

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk in the egg, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine the dough. The dough will be soft, so chill the dough for a minimum of 90 minutes to firm up. (It can be held in the fridge for up to 3 days)

For the cinnamon coating: In a small bowl, mix the coating ingredients. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking trays with parchment.

Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop out roughly 15 balls of dough (about 2 ounces each). Shape into balls in your hand before tossing them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated. Place onto the prepared baking trays, spacing them about 4 inches apart from each other.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the edges have browned, and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone. I like to bake off just one tray at a time.