Pumpkin Thumbprint Cookies with Streusel Topping

Inspired by Dorie Greenspan's use of streusel in cookie recipes, our friend and neighbor Rachael, a talented baker and owner of Water Tank Bakery, developed this special holiday recipe as a small treat, a miniature, complete piece of art that cleverly combines several delectable textures. Our Organic Edison shines in this buttery, tender cookie stuffed with smooth golden pumpkin filling and topped with delicate yet crisp streusel.

Rachael Sobczak, Water Tank Bakery

Prep Time

45-60 minutes

Bake Time

20-23 minutes

Total Time

1 hour 20 minutes

Yield

56 cookies

Ingredients:

For the dough:

6 cups (850g) Organic Edison all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (5g) sea salt

2/3 tablespoon (6g) cinnamon

2/3 tablespoon (6g) ground ginger

½ teaspoon (2g) ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon (2g) allspice

4 sticks (452g) butter, unsalted, at room temperature

Generous 1½ cups (340g) cane sugar

2 large eggs (100g), at room temperature

2/3 tablespoon (9g) vanilla extract

For the filling:

2/3 package (150g) cream cheese, at room temperature

2.5 tablespoons (34g) cane sugar

0.6 cup (150g) pumpkin puree, homemade or store-bought, at room temperature

For the streusel topping:

½ cup (72g) Organic Edison all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (26g) cane sugar

¼ teaspoon (1g) sea salt

2/3 tablespoon (8g) brown sugar

¼ teaspoon (1g) cinnamon

3½ tablespoons (52g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

Pumpkin seed, for garnish

Baker's Notes:

* If baking two sheets of cookies at a time, position the rack in the lower and upper levels of the oven and make sure to rotate the sheets top to bottom and 180° back to front midway through the bake.

** You can freeze unbaked cookies right on the cookie sheets, making sure to cover them well with plastic wrap or a plastic bakery bag to prevent freezer burn. If baking from frozen, add 3-5 minutes to your baking time.

Instructions:

To make the dough:

  1. In a medium-size bowl, thoroughly mix together the dry ingredients.
  2. In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Make sure to stop the mixer every so often and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  3. With the mixer running on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl and incorporating well before adding the next egg.
  4. Sift the dry ingredients into the butter-egg mixture. Mix on low speed until well incorporated and no dry bits remain.
  5. Prepare several baking sheets by lining them with parchment.
  6. Scoop the dough into 1.5 rounded tablespoons (32g) and set them at least 1" apart on baking sheets.

To make the filling:

  1. In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, with the mixer running on low, blend the cream cheese with sugar until well incorporated.
  2. Gradually, one tablespoon at a time, add the pumpkin puree. Mix until smooth before adding the next tablespoon of the puree.
  3. Continue mixing until all of the ingredients are well mixed and no specks of cream cheese remain visible.

To make the streusel:

  1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the dry ingredients.
  2. Add the cubed butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

To assemble and bake the cookies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack positioned in the center of the oven* (see Baker's Notes).
  2. Make an indentation in each cookie using a round ½-teaspoon measuring spoon, a small melon baller, or your thumb.
  3. Fill the depression with 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin puree.
  4. Top with a few pumpkin seeds and ½ teaspoon of streusel** (see Baker's Notes).
  5. Bake for about 20-23 mins, until the base in starting to color and the topping is golden brown.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before serving.

Baker's Notes:

* If baking two sheets of cookies at a time, position the rack in the lower and upper levels of the oven and make sure to rotate the sheets top to bottom and 180° back to front midway through the bake.

** You can freeze unbaked cookies right on the cookie sheets, making sure to cover them well with plastic wrap or a plastic bakery bag to prevent freezer burn. If baking from frozen, add 3-5 minutes to your baking time.


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