Description
Celebrate Halloween with these adorable Jack-O’-Lantern Sandwich Cookies, featuring pumpkin-spiced cookie layers filled with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting. Perfectly festive and deliciously soft, these cookies bring the spirit of fall to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and kosher salt to evenly combine the dry components for the cookie dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars, Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is creamy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, beating again to combine thoroughly. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together.
- Chill Dough: Form the dough into two discs and wrap them well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days to allow the dough to firm up and flavors to meld.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Preheat the workspace by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll out one dough disc to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies, placing them on the prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps as needed to maximize cookie yield. Freeze the cut cookies for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape in the oven.
- Prepare for Baking and Cut Faces: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a paring knife, carefully cut faces out of half the cookies to create the jack-o’-lantern effect. If the dough softens during this process, freeze the cookies again briefly before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until they are just set and lightly firm. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets or a wire rack.
- Make Frosting: While cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt, mixing well to combine into a creamy frosting.
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Once the cookies are fully cooled, flip the solid cookies (without faces) over and spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on the flat side. Top each with a cookie having a cut-out face to create the sandwich effect, gently pressing together to adhere.
Notes
- Freezing the cookies before and after cutting helps maintain their shape during baking.
- You can store assembled sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Allow cookies to cool fully before frosting to prevent melting.
- For a spicier kick, adjust the pumpkin spice blend to your preference.
- If pumpkin puree is unavailable, canned pumpkin can be used as a substitute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg