1. Cried.
2. Quit Facebook [1].
3. Hugged my friends.
4. Donated to Planned Parenthood [2].
5. Made this [3] galette. (It’s wonderful.)
6. Read this [4]. (Funny)
7. Read this [5]. (Not Funny)
8. RAGE.
9. Went on some walks.
10. Visited the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line [6].
That’s a list of some of the things that I’ve done since November 8th. I thought by now I would have something to say about something, but I don’t. I don’t know any more than anyone else. And I think that is why the present moment is so painful. None of us know what to do or what will happen. Sorry, it sucks. But there is work to be done. And here I am writing about cookies, which is both the best and worst thing I can do.
***
A few weeks ago, which feels like a year ago, I made some pumpkin cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s new tome, Dorie’s Cookies. The book is an invaluable resource for all of us who understand that cookies are the absolute best dessert. I was most excited to get my hands on the recipes for Dorie’s famous Jammers. (And I was delighted to even get a mention in the book. Truly a blogging career highlight. Thanks, Dorie!)
If you haven’t come across versions of these cookies before, what sets them apart is that rather than bake them on a cookie sheet they are baked in ring molds or muffin tins, giving them a tidiness and consistency that makes the home cook feel like a pastry chef. They’re wonderful. This particular version has a warmly spiced cookie, topped with a pumpkin and cream cheese filling and a crunchy streusel. They’re a real dream and perfect for this time of year. Make them, they’ll make you feel good.
ALSO! Dorie is coming to Chicago. And there will be cookies! I am hosting an event with her at Floriole in December. Details are all HERE [7]. For $45 you get a copy of the book, and a cookie reception with booze! It is going to be rad.
***
Thanksgiving is Thursday. I hope you all are planning a good one. Was thinking now might be a good time to share some stuff we are thankful for. Wanna use the comments below for that? I’ll start.
***
Spiced Pumpkin Jammers (from Dorie’s Cookies [8])
For the Streusel
- 3/4 cup (102 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (Dorie says 1/4 teaspoon, but I like my streusel salty)
5 1/2 tablespoons (78 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 cups (271 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 sticks (8 oz; 226 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Filling
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup; 113 grams) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup (113 grams) canned pumpkin puree (drained if watery)
Make the streusel:
Whisk the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the cubes of cold butter and toss all of the ingredients together with your hands until the butter is coated. Squeeze, mash, mush or otherwise rub everything together until you have a bowlful of moist clumps and curds. Squeeze the streusel and it will hold together. Sprinkle over the vanilla and toss to blend. Stir in the pumpkin seeds. Pack the streusel into a small container and refrigerate.
Make the Cookie Dough:
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger and allspice together.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and the salt together in medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One by one, beat in the yolks, beating for one minute after each one goes in and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer off, add the dry ingredients all at once and pulse to begin blending. When the risk of flying flour has passed, mix on low speed until the flour mixture disappears into the dough.
Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide it in half. Gather each piece into a ball and shape into a disk.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick between pieces of parchment paper. Slide the parchment-sandwiched dough onto a baking sheet — you can stack the slabs — and freeze for at least 1 hour or refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, Make the Filling:
Use a sturdy flexible spatula to beat the cream cheese in a small bowl until soft and smooth. Work in the pumpkin puree.
Get Ready to Bake:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Butter or spray a regular muffin tin, or two tins, if you’ve got them. Have a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter on hand.
Working with one sheet of dough at a time, peel away both pieces of parchment paper and put the dough back on one of the pieces. Cut the dough and drop the rounds into the muffin tin(s). Save the scraps from both pieces of dough, gather them together, re-roll, chill and cute. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t completely fill the cups; it will once it’s baked.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin filling onto the center of each cookie and use the back of the spoon to spread it across the cookie, leaving a slim border. Spoon or sprinkle streusel over the cookies to cover the entire surface.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the tins after 12 minutes, or until the streusel and edges of the cookies are golden brown. Leave the cookies in the tin(s) for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough, always making certain that the tins are cool.
The baked cookies will keep at room temperature for a couple of days or can be frozen for longer storage.