Okay, folks, it is officially cookie season. I have been baking since I was 4 or 5, with my mom first then gradually learning the cookie baking ropes. My first solo bake was some sort of Christmas cookies. Maybe Russian teacakes aka Mexican teacakes. Yet, in all those years especially the years when I have had my own kitchen, I never used a cookie scoop. My mom didn’t haver one and I always pooh pahhed them as unnecessary. I was so wrong; got one earlier this fall and just tested it out making an old favorite cookie that I translated to gluten free today. A pumpkin cookie recipe out of my venerable copy of The Joy of Cooking. I remember it as a sort of cakey delicate flat cookie. It is all that except not flat. I think if I used all butter, no oil it might spread more. Definitely a keeper recipe and not just for in cookie season; open a can of pumpkin mix and you can make both these cookies and a pumpkin roll anytime. Good to know!

For this gf version I used my recipe and all the variations I had inscribed in my cookbook. For gf flour I subbed in Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 blend. I let the dough rest 10 minutes in the bowl before scooping it onto baking sheets. It came out delicate and cakey but didn’t spread out as much. Like a cute little pumpkin!  Said it made 5 dozen; I got 4 using my 2 Tbsp. scoop.  I bet they freeze well; keeping half for Christmas time.

GF Pumpkin Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup soft butter

1/3 cup mild olive oil

2/3 cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

———-

1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin

1 lg. egg

1 tsp. vanilla

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2 cups Bob’s Redmill 1-1 GF flour mix

1 tsp. double action gf baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. salt

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1 cup raisins

½-1 cup chopped walnuts or slivered almonds

Directions:

Mix butter and sugars in bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla, blend again until smooth. Put all dry ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk together. Add to dough in 4-6 dumps. Mix just  until blended, add nuts and raisins, briefly blend. Let rest 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. I moved my oven shelves to use two; one below the top level and one above the bottom level. I used well sprayed baking sheets with turned up edges which gives a nice even bake. Can use parchment paper if you prefer, saves washing the cookie sheet. I put 12 per sheet using my 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop. Bake 15-16 minutes, the bottoms should be browned a bit; a few browned edges on top. Let cool a minute on sheet before moving to cooling screen. Makes 4 dozen. I think it can be frozen up to 3-4 weeks in sturdy freezer bags. Enjoy!