Chef John's Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 18
Yield: 18 servings

Description

The flavors of pumpkin spice work beautifully in these classic buttery, cinnamon sugar cookies.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2 Place flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Add cinnamon, ginger, allspice, clove, and nutmeg. Whisk until thoroughly mixed, 1 or 2 minutes.
3 Place butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a separate mixing bowl. Cream together with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixture is smooth, 2 or 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg. Stir until thoroughly combined.
4 Pour flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir until just combined or until the flour disappears.
5 Wrap bowl in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for about 1 hour.
6 Stir cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl or plate.
7 Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat all sides. Roll into smooth ball and place on prepared baking sheet, 3 to 4 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
8 Bake in preheated oven until browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
9 Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes; sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar mixture, if desired. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
10 If you'd like to add a bit of a shine to your cookies, you can brush them with a simple glaze. Mix confectioners' sugar with milk or lemon juice to achieve brushing consistency. Brush onto cookies. Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar or pumpkin pie spice, if desired.