Pumpkin Butter Snickerdoodles and Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

I've never really liked pumpkin cookies very much because they always turn out cakey. I like my cookies chewy or crispy.  If I want cake, I'll have it with frosting and not as a cookie.  So I've seen a few cookie recipes here and there use pumpkin butter instead of pumpkin puree, which apparently gives a chewier, less cakey texture.  I'm totally game for trying that out.  A friend asked me to make pumpkin snickerdoodles, so I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to try them out with pumpkin butter. Here's the thing though.  I didn't have much pumpkin butter, but I had a large jar of apple butter, so I decided to experiment with the apple butter first to make sure I had a good recipe.  Which means I have Pumpkin Butter Snickerdoodles as well as Apple Butter Snickerdoodles.  Both are perfectly soft and chewy and delicious!  For the Pumpkin, just use pumpkin butter and pumpkin pie spice.  For the Apple, just use apple butter and apple pie spice.  Otherwise, the recipes are identical!

Pumpkin Butter Snickerdoodles and Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

Cookies:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup Pumpkin Butter (or Apple Butter)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or Apple Pie Spice)

Spiced Sugar:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or Apple Pie Spice)

 Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, pumpkin butter (or apple butter), granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice), and beat on low just until incorporated.  

For the cinnamon sugar, combine the sugar and pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice) in a small bowl.  Scoop the dough into tablespoon size balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place dough on the prepared baking sheet with enough room in between for the cookies to spread.  Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly puffed and cracked on the top.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 60 cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy