Pumpkin Cookies (Regular and Gluten-Free!)

This is a favorite fall cookie for all three of my daughters. It's soft and full of autumn spices... and tastes much better than it looks. As a health conscious mom, I really like that this treat isn't as sugary as most cookies since I use sucanat in place of traditional white table sugar... well, with the exception of on top. We just like that white sugar look, if you know what I mean. Makes them seem so... decadent!

If you have your own pumpkin, you can cook it down and use the flesh or just open a can of pumpkin and use that instead. And I'm all for eating them as a breakfast treat, but typically, they're best consumed slowly around mid-afternoon with a cup of hot tea.

Recently, we've adapted this recipe to include a gluten-free version (as one of the girls has become highly sensitive). Can you tell which is which?

You might be surprised...

The one on the left was made with home-ground hard white whole wheat flour (but I typically use soft white), while the cookie on the right was made with Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. It actually came out prettier! And I think the texture was actually pretty similar. In the end, if I did a blind fold taste test, I'm not sure my girls would be able to tell which was the gluten-free cookie and which was the whole wheat version.

Ah, yes... they are both very nice! The only thing I think I like better in the fall is a good molasses cookie! Perhaps we'll have to adapt that one next week and do a side-by-side comparison. However, I'm quite sure it will take more than one cookie to determine which is best!

Pumpkin Cookies

4 C. flour (for gluten-free flour, please see note below)

4 tsp. baking powder, non-aluminum

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

4 tsp. cinnamon (divided)

1 tsp. salt

3/4 C. butter, softened

2 - 2 1/4 C. sucanat (plus 4 T. for topping)

2 eggs

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 C. pecans, finely chopped (optional)

2 C. raisins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper).

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, and only 1 tsp. of the cinnamon. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and then slowly add sucanat until blended. Continue beating while adding eggs and pumpkin.

4. Add the dry spice mixture to the creamed ingredients and beat until blended.

5. Stir in pecans and raisins by hand or on lowest setting.

6. Drop cookies onto the cookie sheet using spoons - leaving 2 inches between each scone. Flatten the scone with the back of the spoon.

7. Combine 3 T. cinnamon and 4 T. sucanat. Sprinkle on top of each cookie.

8. Bake 8 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

NOTE: When substituting gluten-free flour, add an additional 2 T. per cup of flour.

Make a bunch ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. Cookies quickly thaw and you'll have a treat whenever company arrives or you're asked to brink something to a gathering. Or you could just eat one every day... for medicinal purposes, of course. It's an excellent remedy for fall fever.