Description
Classic caramel stuffed pumpkin cookies bring autumn comfort to dessert tables across North America. Warm spices and gooey caramel centers create irresistible seasonal treats you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 0.75 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 0.75 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed
- 20 soft caramel candies (such as Kraft or Werthers)
- 0.5 cup (120 g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 0.25 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 cup (50 g) granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (for coating)
Instructions
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Meticulously blend flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a mixing bowl, whisking until perfectly combined and aerated.
- Wet Ingredient Transformation: Whisk melted butter with brown and granulated sugars until glossy, then integrate vanilla extract and pumpkin puree, creating a smooth, cohesive mixture that captures the essence of autumn flavors.
- Dough Development: Delicately incorporate dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring with precise movements to maintain a soft, pliable dough that promises rich, tender cookies with a warm, spiced profile.
- Caramel Preparation: Form each dough portion into a gentle disk, creating a strategic hollow to cradle a caramel candy. Carefully encase the sweet center by folding and sealing the dough, ensuring a complete and secure encapsulation.
- Coating and Baking Preparation: Roll each dough ball in a cinnamon sugar mixture, achieving a complete and even coating. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, positioning the cookies with ample spacing to accommodate gentle spreading.
- Baking and Cooling Process: Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and the surface appears invitingly soft. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, permitting the caramel centers to stabilize and the cookies to reach their ultimate texture and flavor potential.
Notes
- Prevent Caramel Leakage: Seal dough completely around caramel, ensuring no gaps to stop melting and prevent sticky spillage during baking.
- Manage Dough Consistency: Keep dough chilled for 15-20 minutes before shaping to improve handling and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Control Moisture Balance: Use pure pumpkin puree without added water or liquid to maintain proper cookie texture and prevent soggy results.
- Temperature Precision: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for exact 5 minutes to stabilize caramel center and develop ideal soft-chewy texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg