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Pumpkin Gingersnaps

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Posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 | By: Kevin

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This past holiday season was a prime season for people to do cookie exchanges, where several people get together and trade cookies so that each person receives a bag of everyone else's cookies.  This does mean that a baker needs to make at least 6 cookies for each person expected to go.  In my case, it was expected that we would have 15 people visiting, so we needed 90 cookies, a little over 8 dozen.

The crux of the problem though, was not only did these cookies need to be gluten free, since it's a gluten free group, but I knew that some people had dairy allergies, egg allergies and soy allergies, so I altered a gluten free recipe to fit this scenario.  Unfortunately, while I avoided soy based shortening, I did hit a spot since the shortening was palm oil, and palm oil is considered a tree nut.   At least though, no one in the group had a tree nut allergy.

My first batch didn't turn out so well.  Instead of rolling dough into balls, I sliced them off a log to try making a sort of biscuit cookie.  The shape didn't turn out too well, and the cooking didn't work quite right.  The second batch, created after some consulting, was much better.  The dough was chilled in log form, 2" in diameter, and 1/4" slices were cut and rolled into balls which were then rolled in a spiced sugar and then flattened into a cookie form.

This wasn't a complete loss at least, since my consultant took the first batch back to a second baker, who doesn't always do gluten free, and used it to create a crust that did quite well for cheesecake.

The recipe was modified from a gluten free recipe from serious eats for the use in a cookie exchange where there are other allergies, including gluten.

Equipment: mixer, measuring equipment, oven, parchment paper or plastic wrap, baking sheet, heavy flat bottomed glass.
Cookie Recipe

  • 8.5 ounces (2 cups) brown rice flour
  • 2 3/4 ounces (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour
  • 2 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) Spectrum brand Palm Oil Shortening
  • 6.3 ounces (3/4 cup packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Libby's Pumpkin (plain canned pumpkin)
  • 3 tablespoons molasses 
  • 1/2 Tablespoon water if needed
For the spiced sugar mix, I didn't measure anything out, but instead used a base of cinnamon, sugar and some other spices, including clove and allspice.  The mix is a loose attempt to replicate the spice from Coffee Beanery (established in Michigan in the 1970s) found here.   

Per Serious Eat's procedures, I mixed the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then mixed the shortening and brown sugar, added the pumpkin, then added the dry ingredients and finally the molasses.  Sometimes, if it was too dry, I would add up to 1/2 Tablespoons of water.  

I then put this out onto a sheet of saran wrap, or waxed paper, parchment paper (or even aluminum foil) and created a cylinder about 2" in diameter.  I let this chill for an hour or two.

When I was ready to bake, I sliced the log into 1/4" slices and rolled each slice into a ball.  This ball is then rolled in the spiced sugar mix, placed on parchment paper which is on top of a baking sheet.  I was able to fix 2 dozen on a 17x12" sheet .  I then dipped the heavy bottomed glass in sugar and flattened the balls out until they were about 1.5" in diameter.  I'd consider making them thinner and wider as well.   

These are then baked in a 350°F oven for 13 minutes, then cooled on a baking rack.  

My favorite is to eat these with a spiced coffee, using a spoonful of the left over sugar spice, chocolate, coffee and whipped cream.

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