Spiced shortbread cookies shaped into pumpkins, glazed, and ready for Fall. These cookies will impress at a party or be the perfect cozy night-in activity.
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My all-time favorite cookie for all seasons is decorated shortbread cookies. Whether you are wanting an elegant tablescape or a kid-friendly party favor, shortbread cookies are made for every occasion and holiday. For a fun Fall twist on my original shortbread cookie, brown sugar shortbread dough spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice creates a perfect flavor for the season.
Add making these cookies to your cozy Fall activities list! They will be sure to put you in the spirit of the season. These are the perfect cookies that will decorate your table and fill your belly with joy.
Ingredients
- Flour- All-purpose works great
- Spices- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Allspice
- Brown Sugar- Light Brown Sugar for sweetness and added flavor
- Butter- Unsalted and at room temperature
- Powdered Sugar- For the royal icing
- Egg Whites- Make sure they are pasteurized egg whites
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and spices; set aside
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, cream light brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy
- Add egg to the butter mixture and mix until combined
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together; don't overmix
- Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface to form a ball
- Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼ inch thick and cut the dough using a 3 inch pumpkin cookie cutter
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes or until edges are light golden
- Allow cookies to cool while you prepare the royal icing
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and egg whites
- Mix on medium to high until the glaze becomes smooth and shiny; it will be thick but fall flat once it settles
- Divide and color the glaze into ¾ pale orange, ⅛ light brown, and ⅛ light green and fill pastry bags with each color
Decorating Spiced Shortbread Cookies
- Starting with the light orange glaze, outline the perimeter of all of the pumpkin cookies and then draw two lines on the interior of the pumpkin to create the shape; let the outline dry
- Using the orange glaze, fill in the two exterior portions of the pumpkin first (leaving the center empty); repeat to complete all the pumpkin cookies; allow the glaze to dry
- Once the two exterior portions of the pumpkin are dry, fill in the center portion of the pumpkin and repeat to complete all the pumpkin cookies
- Using the light brown glaze, outline the stem of the pumpkin and then fill in the stem; allow the pumpkin and stem to dry before moving on
- Once the pumpkin has slightly dried, using the green glaze, pipe a swirl to create a green vine on the pumpkin
- Allow the glazed pumpkin cookies to dry completely before serving (approximately 3-4 hour)
Tips and FAQs for Spiced Shortbread Cookies
- Make sure you use pasteurized egg whites to make the royal icing, since pasteurized eggs have been heated to kill any bacteria. You'll want to use pasteurized eggs for any recipe that doesn't cook the egg
- If you want to bag or stack the cookies, allow them to dry for approximately 12 hours so that the icing does not get damaged
This part is very important because you don't want the icing to be too thick or too thin. When it's just right, the icing will be thick enough but will not hold its shape and flatten out once it is piped or glazed.
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Spiced Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
⅛ teaspoon Allspice
½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
Royal Icing
4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
½ Cup Pasteurized Egg Whites (add more or less depending on consistency)
Instructions
Spiced Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 sheet pans with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger and allspice; set aside
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream together the light brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl to be sure all ingredients are incorporated
- Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together; do not overmix
- Remove the dough from the bowl and lightly knead together on a floured surface to create a ball
- Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface
- Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick and cut the dough using a three inch pumpkin shaped cookie cutter
- Place the cookies on a prepared sheet pan leaving about two inches in between each cookie (they don’t spread a lot)
- Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges have a very light golden color
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely while you prepare the royal icing
Royal Icing Glaze
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar and egg whites
- Mix on medium to high speed until the glaze become smooth and shiny; the glaze with be thick but fall flat once settles
- Divide the glaze into ¾ pale orange glaze, ⅛ light brown glaze and ⅛ light green glaze and fill one pastry bag with each color
Ice & Decorate Cookies
- Starting with the light orange glaze, outline the perimeter of all of the pumpkin cookies and then draw two lines on the interior of the pumpkin to create the shape; let the outline dry
- Using the orange glaze, fill in the two exterior portions of the pumpkin first (leaving the center empty); repeat to complete all the pumpkin cookies; allow the glaze to dry
- Once the two exterior portions of the pumpkin are dry, fill in the center portion of the pumpkin and repeat to complete all the pumpkin cookies
- Using the light brown glaze, outline the stem of the pumpkin and then fill in the stem; allow the pumpkin and stem to dry before moving on
- Once the pumpkin has slightly dried, using the green glaze, pipe a swirl to create a green vine on the pumpkin
- Allow the glazed pumpkin cookies to dry completely before serving (approximately 3-4 hour)
- If you are wanting to bag or stack the cookies, allow them to dry for approximately 12 hours so that the icing does not get damaged
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