Glowing Jack O Lantern Cookies Recipes

JACK-O'-LANTERN COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt; reserve. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat well. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap separately in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 of the disks 1/8-inch thick. Using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter or cardboard Jack-o'-lantern template 5 to 6 inches in diameter, cut out cookies. If using the cookie cutter, finish off the Jack-o'-lantern by cutting out eyes and a mouth with the tip of a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Decorate with colored sugars/chocolates.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with the oil.
• Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds and strings (save the seeds for roasting). Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the flesh is soft when pierced with a fork, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Scoop out the flesh into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Spoon the pumpkin puree into a sieve placed over a large bowl. Let the pumpkin drain for 30 minutes before using. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 year.

GLOWING JACK-O'-LANTERN COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, foil, or a Silpat mat (not wax paper, which will stick).
• 2. Unwrap the candies if wrapped, put them in a heavy ziplock bag, and crush them into powder with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a saucepan.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy, and then blend in the egg, lemon zest, if using, lemon juice, and food coloring. Begin with 6 drops of red and 5 drops of yellow liquid coloring or a dab of orange paste; add more to achieve your desired shade. Stir well until fully combined.
• 4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl, and mix well.
• 5. Roll half of the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut out 8 big jack-o'-lantern shapes with a cookie cutter, or freehand with the tip of a paring knife. Make short, fat pumpkins about 4 inches wide by 3 inches high, or make tall, thin pumpkins about 4 inches tall and 2 to 3 inches wide. You want some variety here! Use the knife to cut out big eyes, nose, and mouth in each (don't do a lot of teeth - they tend to break off). Keep in mind that you want the eyes, nose, and mouth to be wide enough to hold the melted candy. Carefully lift the pumpkins with a spatula and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Use the tip of the paring knife to push back the eye, nose, and mouth openings to make them as wide as possible without losing the bridges of dough between the features. Repeat with the remaining dough half.
• 6. With the tip of a small spoon, sprinkle candy powder generously into the eyes, nose, and mouth openings, directly to the parchment. Try to keep the candy off the surface of the cookies.
• 7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, watching carefully. Remove as soon as the candy has melted; don't let the surface of the cookies brown. They should be just set and very pale.
• 8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets, or carefully lift the parchment off the sheets and transfer the whole sheet to cooling racks (only if the racks are big enough to hold the sheet). When the cookies are completely cool, carefully peel off the parchment.