Crunchy Pumpkin Spiced Cookies

I finally succeeded in making a better, crispier and crunchy pumpkin cookies than my previous attempt.  Since I don't use canola oil now, I have to find a substitute for it.  I can't use peanut oil because I mostly make this as gift besides our own consumption.  You know, have to be careful about peanut allergy these days.  I don't want to use my extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil because they are expensive.  So, I left with butter, butter is what our grandma used in the old days anyway before cheaper oil replaced it in baking.  Anyway, today we know that butter is a good fat and it would not raise your cholesterol level by eating it in moderation.  So, I am not afraid of butter anymore and have been using it to substitute my older recipes that called for canola oil.  As for my Chinese New Year cookie recipes, I will either use peanut oil or butter as the substitute.

This is so crunchy and delicious!  You just have to make it to believe it!  Now I learned the trick, I have to shape it thin and bake it until it's slightly brown to make it crunchy.  As you can see above, I make it for teachers at school and I hope they like this little crunchy pumpkin spiced cookie!  :-)

If you make this, please do feedback to me ya! 

Ingredients:

Wet:

• 2 sticks (or 1 cup) of unsalted butter
• 2 cup granulated cane sugar
   
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic pumpkin puree

Dry:

• 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour  

Method:

1.  In a large Pyrex bowl,  add in the butter.  Heat it in the microwave for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir.  In the same bowl, add in sugar. Hand whisk until smooth. Add in vanilla and pumpkin puree, whisk until combine and smooth.

2.  Add in the dry ingredients as listed.  Whisk after each addition.  For the flour, just whisk until it can handle and then switch to hand kneading.  Knead until a soft dough is formed.

3.  Divide the dough into 4 pieces.  Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a long log.  Wrap in a cling wrap and keep in the freezer.  It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.  You can also bake it after an hour in the freezer, or bake some and save some for later!

4.    Preheat the oven to 350'F.  Prepare baking pans lined with parchment papers.

5.   Take one log out of the freezer and thinly slice it and arrange it one inch apart on the baking sheet.  Bake for 14 minutes or until slightly brown on the sides.  Take it out and let it rest for 5 minute on the baking sheet before transferring it to cool completely on the wire rack.  When cooled, keep them in an air-tight container.  Enjoy the crunch!

~Each log would probably have about 50-60 cookies.  About 200+ cookies if you bake it all on the same day.