It’s the last Sunday in August and you know what that means; pumpkin spice everything is around the corner. I refuse to call these pumpkin spice shortbread, but the taste is similar.
Here’s what you need and what to do:
Turn oven to 325° and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the following spices together in a small dish and set aside.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
In a stand mixer (or a big bowl and using a hand mixer), cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar.
1 1/4 cups softened butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Add the all-purpose flour in thirds, slowly, so as not to make a mess and incorporate it for a smooth texture. With the last 1/3 of the flour, add 2/3 of the spice mixture.
2 1/4 all-purpose flour
2/3 of the spice mixture, reserve the rest for the last step.
Make cookie balls, about the size of a ping pong ball and place on cookie sheet, leaving space so edges don’t touch. Taking a small glass, gently smush the cookie ball, making a pretty indention. Bake for 12/15 minutes, till cookies are lightly brown. Cool slightly. In the same dish of reserved spices add a couple of tablespoons confectioner’s sugar. Toss warm cookies in the spiced sugar and cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cookies. Serve with your favorite beverage. I have a creamered up cup of coffee, but as muggy as it is, iced tea would be great. Please, no hot cocoa. This is the South and we won’t cool down for several more weeks. Pumpkin spice, my eye!
I was excited the other week, when I spied this volunteer vine growing in Herman’s flower patch. It looked like a pumpkin vine of some kind, but it’s made these little tiny melon fruits. A mouse melon, a cucamelon, a sour cucumber. I don’t know. Kind of disappointed it’s not a little pumpkin. It’s feeding the wildlife around here, because the fruit I saw last week are gone. The tortoises and the rabbits may be dining together.
Blessings from Herman’s flower patch and the Exile’s Kitchen.
theexileskitchen 