Fall-inspired cut-out cookies made with pumpkin spice peanut butter. These festive treats are also vegan.
Remember that old episode of The Simpsons where Lisa gives Ralph a Valentine’s Day card? I happened to (re)watch that episode three weeks ago, and the song ‘Monster Mash’ has been dancing around my head ever since.
He did the mash
He did the monster mash
I walk down the street and monsters are doing the mash in my head.
He did the mash
It was a graveyard smash
I’ll be in the grocery store, and there it is again. Then I realize that I’ve been quietly singing to the apples.
He did the mash
It caught on in a flash
Well, I guess I’ll just have to enjoy the mash.
He did the mash
He did the monster mash
At least that song reminded me that Halloween is just around the corner. Hopefully I’ll post a Halloween recipe that’s a little more ‘breakfasty’ before the 31st. But for now, cookies!
The idea for these cookies came from (a) ‘Monster Mash’ making me want to make something that could be Halloween-related; and (b) receiving a jar of Peanut Butter & Co.’s new Pumpkin Spice flavor.
Given my love of all things peanut butter and pumpkin, I was very excited about this flavor. I was expecting it to simply be peanut butter mixed with pumpkin spice – but no – there’s actual pumpkin puree mixed in too!
As you can imagine, the peanut butter is delicious on top of a bowl of oatmeal. Especially if that’s a bowl of apple and/or pumpkin oatmeal. But for today’s post I wanted something a little more Halloween-y.
Enter, cut-out cookies.
There’s no need to wait until Christmas to break out the cookie cutters. Cut-out cookies are about a whole lot more than gingerbread men and colorful trees, you know. They can be a fun Halloween treat if you have the right cookie cutters and/or decorating skills.
Unfortunately, I have neither of those things. As you may have noticed.
As someone with unbelievably unsteady hands, I wasn’t about to try making Frankenstein heads or witches. And despite have fourteen cookie cutters, I have no pumpkin, witches, ghosts or even cats.
So, as you can see, I tried to turn a little man into a ghost by covering him in icing and sticking on two raisins for the eyes. Not a work of art, but hey, close enough.
I also tried to shape one of my cookies into pumpkin. Um, that didn’t go so well (it’s on the bottom right-hand corner of the next picture).
If Halloween isn’t your jam, then these peanut buttery, pumpkin spiced cookies would also work for celebrating Thanksgiving, or generally celebrating October/November. Actually, you don’t even need a celebration to make cookies. Cookies don’t need an excuse.
Cookies do, however, need to cool completely before you decorate them. Don’t be impatient, or else icing will go everywhere (seriously, everywhere!).
For my ‘ghost’ cookie, I simply whisked together some confectioner’s sugar (aka icing sugar, aka powdered sugar) with a few drops of water. The ridiculous-looking pumpkin is covered in a similar icing, except I also added a pinch of ground cinnamon and a tiny bit of pumpkin puree to that one.
Unlike most cut-out cookies, these are vegan, contain no butter (other than the peanut butter, obviously), and the only oil involved is the small amount present in the peanut butter. The cookie dough also comes together in one bowl, and there’s no electrical equipment required.
Even though there isn’t a giant amount of peanut butter in this recipe, I’m happy to say that the pumpkin spice flavor still comes through (without being overpowering). Using the pumpkin spice peanut butter also means you don’t have to bother measuring out all those spices – or washing a gazillion ¼ teaspoon measuring spoons.
If you happen to have a pumpkin cookie cutter, then now is the time to use it! I can’t believe I have an Eiffel Tower cutter, a shoe and a pig, but no pumpkin. Clearly, this is going to have to change soon.
But for the time being, I’ll stick to my pig cutter. And I’ll be doing the monster mash.
Yes, that thing exists!
In case peanuts aren’t your thing, pumpkin spice buttery spread exists too.
- ¼ cup (70g) pumpkin spice peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons (30g) pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup (40g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (30mL) maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (50g) oat flour
- ¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Extra flour, for rolling
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin spice peanut butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the oat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with a spoon until combined. If the dough appears to be too wet, add some more flour. If the dough is too dry, add more maple syrup (or a splash of almond milk).
- Shape the dough into a disc and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with non-stick paper. Sprinkle some extra flour over a flat surface, and lightly flour a rolling pin and some cookie cutters.
- Transfer the chilled dough to the flour surface, sprinkle over more flour, and roll out to approximately ¼-inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out cookies, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Carefully place the cookies on the prepared baking trays.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
I used Peanut Butter & Co.'s Pumpkin Spice, which was provided to me by PB & Co.
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