Ingredients for Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Puree

You can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin for this recipe. I like to cook a pumpkin or two at the beginning of the fall season and freeze my pumpkin puree for all my pumpkin recipes throughout the festive months. If you are using a whole pumpkin check out my post on how to make pumpkin puree.

Flour

In most of my recipes I like to use 1/2 all purpose 1/2 whole wheat but for these cookies I choose to use 100% All Purpose Flour. All purpose has a much lighter texture insuring a the soft, light texture to our cookie. Whole wheat flours can make them more dense and may not meet your dessert expectations.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is our sweetener. It is important to use brown sugar for it molasses content. We will also be adding additional molasses so if you don’t have brown sugar you and simply substitute with regular granulated sugar or Monk Fruit Sweetener and double the amount of molasses the recipe calls for.

I like to use organic cane sugar from Azure Standard. If you’ve never heard from azure standard before you should check our my Azure Standard Review to learn more.

To Learn more about how to make brown sugar here is my recipes

Butter

Because of the pumpkin puree we will use about 1/2 of the normal amount of butter that you would normally see in a cookie recipe. This produces more of a soft cake like cookie rather than a chewy cookie.

Eggs

Eggs help our cookie from crumbling. They help holds everything together and is a part of the rising action and helps determine the crumbliness or chewiness of your cookie. This recipe calls for two eggs. But after reading “Cookie Science: How Do Eggs Affect My Cookies?” I might try double yoke and one white instead of 2 whole eggs. For now I’m keeping it simple also cause it works. 2 eggs.

Molasses

Molasses is a rich in nutrient, color, and flavor, thick syrup that we get from sugar cane. I use blackstrap molasses for its nutrient benefits in smoothie, pasta sauces, chili, breakfast muffins, and more. Although we have molasses in our brown sugar I added more to enrich the flavor and texture of this cookie while adding extra nutrients and taking out a little saturated fats by using less butter than normal.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

This recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda is activated as soon as it is mixed in with another acidic ingredient. In our case, brown sugar BUT because the brown sugar and butter is mixed together first the baking soda and acidic brown sugar will not activate until the butter melt from around the brown sugar.

The baking powder is also activated at the mixing point but also has some agents in it that need heat to insure activation. So although baking soda and baking powder are very similar we find that one is activated more by acidity and the other is activated more by heat.

Vanilla

I like to use vanilla powder rather than extract. You can find the vanilla powder on amazon. This powder is a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract so you don’t have to do any extra math when substituting. I like the flavor a lot and its been a great addition to my pantry.

Spices

Our spices include cinnamon, ginger, all-spice. These spices add so much flavor and you can easily adjust the amounts and create a whole new flavor. If you favor one flavor over the other you can experiment by adding a extra 1/4 teaspoon to the spice you want to stand out. Reduce another spice you want to be more subtle then the others.

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Gingerbread Molasses Cookies

Mix Butter & Brown Sugar

In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix soft butter and brown sugar together. This is important to the chemical reaction that we want to get a perfect cookie.

Add Wet ingredients

Add pumpkin puree, eggs and molasses to the butter and sugar mixture and combine thoroughly.

Add Dry Ingredients

Next, add the four, spices and baking soda and powder.

Refrigerate

Once the cookie dough is all mixed together refrigerate for a least 30 minutes, 1 hour is best. We want to refrigerate so that the dough is easy to roll into a ball. If the cookies are not clean round balls they will look a little messy and bumpy and hard to frost with the white chocolate icing.

Form and Bake

Take spoon or cookie scoop and form a nice clean round cookie dough ball. At this point you can dip into cinnamon and sugar before baking or just leave plain. If you don’t plan on making the white chocolate icing then I do think you should roll it in some cinnamon and sugar.

Bake in the oven for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ingredients for White Chocolate Icing

White chocolate chips

You can also use white chocolate baking squares or bars but white chocolate chips work really well too.

Milk

White chocolate does not melt the same way as regular coco chocolate chips. White chocolate likes to stay thick and need the milk to help smooth it out and make it spreadable.

Butter

Butter also help the white chocolate chips break down to something more workable without adding to much liquid.

Make While Chocolate Icing.

In a sauce pan on medium high heat melt the white chocolate chips, butter and milk together. do not let it boil, just get it hot and melted and smooth.

Take off the heat and dip the cookies into the white chocolate and let cool on a cooling rack. Or you can take a fork or spoon and drizzle the icing on the cookies for fun designs.

If you white chocolate cools down to fast it will not be workable. Simply reheat and continue to drizzle or dip your cookies.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Print

Ingredients

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Toggle ingredient group

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (1 1/2 tablespoons light molasses)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon all-spice

White Chocolate Icing

Toggle ingredient group

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chip
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons milk

Cinnamon Sugar

Toggle ingredient group

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

1. In a large bowl or you stand mixture, beat together the the sugar and brown sugar
2. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs and molasses and mix all together.
3. Now add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice and vanilla.
4. Once it is all mix refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, 1 hour is best if you have the time. This will make the cookies easier to form into a clean circle.
5. Take a spoon or cookie do scoop and form smooth cookie dough balls. If desired roll them in your cinnamon sugar at this time.
6. Bake the cookies at 350 for 8 minutes.
7. let cool and drizzle or dip into your white chocolate.

White Chocolate Icing

1. Pour the white chocolate chips, butter and milk into a sauce pan and heat on a medium-high heat.
2. Once melted and mix together take off of the heat and dip the cookies or drizzle on top of the cookies while it is still hot. If it cools down and hardens simple reheat and continue.

The post Gingerbread Pumpkin Cookies Recipe (White Chocolate icing) appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Brown sugar is made of 2 ingredients. Granulated sugar and molasses. Simply mix 1 cup sugar to 1 tablespoon molasses and done. It truly is as simple as that. There’s literally nothing else to it.

Keep reading to find out more on Different Mixing Techniques, Different Types of Molasses, What is Molasses and How its Made, FAQ so you can improve your from scratch home cooking knowledge and skills.

Heads up! My post do contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

4 Different Mixing Techniques

There are some different techniques in the way you mix the two ingredients but no right or wrong, just preference. There is also different opinions on what you what type of sugar or molasses is best. All types of sugar and molasses work.

I’m sure you can probably come up with a few more ways to mix two ingredients and if you think of another way that works for you, great! Do that.

• Bowl and spoon. This techniques works great for small amount. If you just need 1 cup or 2 cups of brown sugar you can just quickly mix them together and add them to your recipe.
• Electric Hand Mixer. If you don’t want to mix by hand or maybe you have a need little be more then just a cup or two an electric hand mixer can be just the right tool for you.
• KitchenAid Mixer. Now if you are making a lot of brown sugar like I do you may want to use a bigger mixer like a KitchenAid. It will mix a larger quantity (6-8 cups) with minimal work on your part.
• Food processor. Because I use organic sugar that has somewhat larger crystals I prefer to use my food processor. It mixes as well as granulates my sugar just a little bit more. The food processor does do as much as my KitchenAid so I just do a few batches in order to fill my container.

Different types of Molasses

As the sugar cane juices are boiled the molasses and sugar are separated.

• After the first boil you get light molasses,
• The second boil a dark molasses
• And then the third boil gets you Blackstrap molasses.

Other names you will see for molasses are,

• Old Fashioned Molasses. Old fashioned molasses hasn’t had all of the sugar removed (typically light molasses) from it so it is a little sweeter but has a lower concentrate of iron then blackstrap molasses. Molasses can be bitter so the sweeter flavor in this molasses makes it more popular for recipes and desserts and will work great for making brown sugar.
• Blackstrap Molasses. Blackstrap molasses has more of the sugar removed, which makes it less sweet or more bitter. The benefits is in its richer concentrate of iron and other nutrients. Light and dark molasses have these same nutrients but as you continue to boil it down it becomes a thicker and richer concentrate of those nutrients.
• Unsolphured Molasses. If the sugar cane is unripe when the molasses is extracted from it, sulphur dioxide is added to preserve it. Unsolphured molasses means that molasses has not been treated with sulphur dioxide.

What is molasses? How is it made?

Molasses is a by product of sugar cane or sugar beets just like granulated sugar. To make sugar and molasses you take the juice from the sugar cane or beet and boil it down. Once all the water is evaporated you are left with a syrup. This syrup is then crystalized and separated into dry sugar crystals and the remaining syrup which we call molasses!

So you might be thinking that the brown sugar in the store is processed by not separating the molasses and sugar fully, resulting in brown sugar. Close, that’s possible but not how they do. The brown sugar you find in the store is more often separated completely, so that if fully a dry crystal, granulated and processed and then they add the molasses back in so that we have that fine texture of granulated brown sugar.

Raw sugar, turbinado sugar, and organic cane sugars are less refined resulting in a larger crystal (not fine and granulated) and holds on to some of the original molasses giving it a light brown coloring. Its not enough molasses to be considered brown sugar but not refined enough to be considered white granulated sugar.

FAQ:

How to keep brown sugar from getting hard?

To be honest I don’t experience this problem with brown sugar as much as I do with my organic cane sugar. This happens when the moisture from the molasses evaporates from the sugar and the crystals clump together creating a hard block of sucrose. This happens to organic cane sugars as well because the still have traces of molasses in them.

To prevent this from happening store in an airtight container capturing the moisture. If brown sugar is not filling up the container there could be too much air exposure causing the problem. You can place a layer of plastic wrap over the it to help retain moisture or keep the sugar in a Zip-lock bag. You can also purchase a nifty terracotta brown sugar keeper on Amazon. Terracotta holds on to moisture for a long time. So the idea is that you can soak the terracotta disc in water for 15 minutes and place it in your sugar. It will help keep the moisture in the container and you sugar softer for 3-6 months.

How to soften brown sugar?

If you have hard brown sugar in order to soften it quickly you can use the microwave. Measure out the amount you need in a microwave safe bowl and place a damp paper towel on the top. Microwave in 20 second increments until it is soft. Brake up any larger clumps with a fork as you go.

If you have the time and don’t want to use the microwave you can also place a slice of bread, or a few slices of apples or a terracotta brown sugar saver in your brown sugar for 24 hours. They will slowly add moisture back into your brown sugar and you will be able to break up any large clumps with a fork.

Is it cheaper to make my own or buy brown sugar?

Okay, lets do some math.
2lbs Great Value Light Brown Sugar: $2.57 – 8.0c/oz
2lbs C&H Dark Brown Sugar: $3.43 – 10.7c/oz

4lbs Great Value Pure Granulated Sugar: $3.24 – 5.1c/oz
4lbs C&H Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar: $3.73 – 5.8c/oz

12 fl oz Grandma’s Original Unsulphured Molasses: $3.66 – 30.5c/fl.oz

If my recipe is for every 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses and there is 8 oz in a cup and 1/2 oz in a tablespoon. My homemade brown sugar equation comes to S(8oz X 5.1c) + M(.5oz X 30.5c) = 56.05 cents per cup (8oz) of brown sugar. Divide 56.05/8oz = 7.0cents/oz for homemade brown sugar. The answer, its CHEAPER by 1 cent per oz.
If you don’t like my math feel free to challenge it in the comments. I enjoy figuring number and seeing how other figure these types of problems out.

Can I substitute molasses with something else to make brown sugar?

You can’t actually substitute molasses with anything else by mixing it with the sugar to get brown sugar. But you can substitute, in your recipes, brown sugar with maple syrup or honey.

What type of molasses should I use?

For making brown sugar it doesn’t matter. The lighter Old Fashioned molasses will create a lighter brown sugar you will need more to make it darker. Blackstrap molasses will get you a dark brown sugar with less. The sweet flavor of the old fashioned and the bitter flavor of the blackstrap doesn’t matter when you are mixing it with sugar.

When it comes to recipe like molasses cookies, ginger bread houses or molasses banana bread, the recipe might call for a specific type of molasses. Depending on the flavor you want you should use the correct molasses. Lighter molasses will have a lighter flavor, blackstrap has a stronger flavor. There are some tricks you can use if you don’t have the right one. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup light molasses but all you have is blackstrap you can substitute 3/4 blackstrap and 1/4 honey or maple syrup to lighten it up. If it calls for blackstrap and all you have is light molasses… You could technically boil it down and get a blackstrap but I usually just add another 1/4 cup of the or so of molasses and take out a little oil or butter, depending on the recipe, to even out the moisture.

Should you refrigerate Molasses after opening?

It is recommended that if you molasses is unsulphured you should refrigerate after opening. Personally, I didn’t know this until doing research this post. I have never refrigerated my molasses and I have never had it go bad. In the past I have left 1/2 used jars of molasses in my pantry for almost a year and it was still good. So should you refrigerate the molasses? Yes. Can un-refrigerated molasses keep in your pantry. Yes. Can un-refrigerated molasses go bad. Yes. Refrigerated molasses will keep longer, and safer.

Comment below if you have any other questions about brown sugar or molasses. You can also read more about the health benefits of molasses here. And follow along for more recipes featuring molasses. Have a great day and happy baking!

The post How To Make Brown Sugar appeared first on Embracing The Home.