Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles from Knead Peace
Inspired by the resilient spirit of Anna Makievska and The Bakehouse, Kyiv, who have continued to bake day and night throughout the conflict, Knead Peace is a unique collection of beautiful bakes in support of Ukraine. With recipes donated by esteemed bakeries from across the globe, £2.50 from the sale of each print copy of Knead Peace sold in the UK is donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi – OTTOLENGHI
Snickerdoodles are hard not to love at any time of the year: they’re slightly cakey in the centre, crisp at the edges, cracked on top and rolled in cinnamon sugar; they’re also great as the base for an ice-cream sandwich. Here, I’ve given them an autumnal, pumpkin spice twist. The cookies keep in a sealed jar for up to a week, and can also be baked straight from frozen, in which case add 1 minute to the baking time.
Makes 22 Snickerdoodles
INGREDIENTS
PUMPKIN SPICE MIX
4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
50g demerara (turbinado) sugar
SNICKERDOODLE DOUGH
340g plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp cream of tartar
250g unsalted butter, at room
temperature
300g caster (superfine) sugar
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 egg, lightly beaten
METHOD
First make the pumpkin spice mix. Put the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a small bowl. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the mix into a large bowl, add the flour, bicarb (soda) and cream of tartar and set aside. Add the sugar to the remaining spice mix in the small bowl and set that aside, too.
Now for the dough. Put the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on a medium– high speed for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, and continue mixing
on a medium–high speed for 1 minute until everything is well incorporated.
With the motor running, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Scrape the dough to the bottom of the bowl, making sure there are no bits stuck to the sides, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm and rollable.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray (sheet) with nonstick baking paper.
Divide the dough into 40g pieces and roll into firm balls: you should end up with 22.
One at a time, roll the balls in the spice and sugar mixture, to coat well. (If it doesn’t stick, warm the balls slightly in your hands first.)
Lay the balls on the lined tray (sheet), spacing them out well apart – they will spread a lot while baking, so leave at least 5cm (2inches) between each ball, and if need be, use 2 trays and/or bake them in batches.
Bake for 9 minutes for a gooier cookie and up to 12 minutes for a firmer one, then remove, transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
This is an extract from Knead Peace by Andrew Green
Click here to find out more about the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
If you liked this Coffee, Cardamom & Walnut Cake recipe, check out the recipe to Home Cooked by Darina Allen.
