Cookie Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, pressed to reduce to ¼ cup
- 1 large egg yolk, acclimatized to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice for pumpkin pies
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⅓ cups plain flour
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- A pinch of sea salt flakes for garnish
Preparation Steps:
- Begin with caramelizing the butter in a saucepan until it adopts a rich golden color and emits a nutty scent. Once achieved, set it aside to cool.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment.
- Pat the pumpkin puree dry on a paper plate with towels to soak up excess moisture until you're left with ¼ cup (60g).
- Cream the cooled brown butter and both sugars in a mixer. Blend in the dried pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and spices in a separate bowl. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing to just combine - it's okay if some flour is visible.
- Stir the chocolate chunks into the dough, setting aside some for topping the cookies.
- For each cookie, portion the dough with a ¼ cup measure, forming it into balls. Press them down slightly for even baking, then adorn with the reserved chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until just set; they should not appear wet in the center but remain soft.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet to maintain their shape before transferring them to a rack.
Helpful Hints:
- The drier the pumpkin, the chewier the cookie. Blotting excess moisture is key.
- The consistency of your dough may vary; if it's too dry, incorporate a little more pumpkin for a pliable texture.
- Measure your ingredients by grams for precise results, but in the absence of a scale, the spoon-and-level method is your ally for fluffy flour.
