Pumpkin Cookies (steam oven).

You do not need a steam oven to make this recipe. Instructions below.

These cookies are clouds of pumpkin goodness, perfect for the fall and winter season. They are very light and fluffy, almost cake-like, and when topped with cream cheese frosting they are borderline perfection. Because of the cake-like texture, the cookies are a perfect candidate to bake in the steam oven on Convection Humid mode, keeping them moist and pillowy. If you don’t have a steam oven, they can be baked in a regular oven.

This recipe is adapted from Samantha Seneviratne’s recipe, Pumpkin Cookies from the New York Times. First, I doubled the recipe to make more cookies. Second, I added a small amount of olive oil to make the cookies more moist. Feel free to add mini chocolate chips—I like them without.

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Time: 45 minutes Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:

3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (334g) pumpkin puree (Libby’s brand is best)

1/4 cup olive oil (optional)

16 tablespoons butter (226g) butter, 2 sticks, at room temperature

2 cups (440g) packed dark brown sugar (light brown sugar is fine)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sugar for sprinkling (optional)

For the cream cheese frosting:

8 tablespoons (192g) butter, 1 stick, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups (390g) confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat steam oven to 325° Convection Humid mode. Or preheat oven to 350° Bake. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. If using your steam oven, use both the solid sheet pan and the perforated sheet pan (make sure to line both with parchment paper).

2. In a large bowl, whish together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. In small bowl, stir together pumpkin puree and olive oil, set aside.

3. With an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes (make sure there are no dried brown sugar clumps visible). Beat in the eggs, pumpkin mixture, and vanilla extract until combined. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.

4. Scoop the batter into 2-tablespoon scoops at least 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets (the cookies will spread a bit). Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 12 minutes. The cookies are done with they’re puffed and spring back when gently pressed in the center. Transfer the cookeis

• If using the steam oven, you can bake both sheets at the same time. Put one sheet on rack position 1 and the other on rack position 2.

• If using a regular oven, bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven.

For the cream cheese frosting:

1. Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla for about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar one cup at a time and a punch of sugar. Mix until fully combine.

Tip: If you find your cookies are not holding their shape and look like they’ve exploded, you did not mix the batter enough. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl to ensure the batter is properly mixed.