Pumpkin Oatmeal Biscuits (Cookies) Recipe

The time has passed so quickly that I had hardly noticed that it's less than a week to Halloween. I really have been tardy and hardly any Halloween recipes have been published on this blog to date. To rectify that here is an interesting new Halloween-based twist on the traditional Oat Biscuit (cookie).

This is a classic rustic biscuit made with mashed pumpkin and containing chocolate chips and dried cranberries that makes a different (and healthy) snack or treat for Halloween. Tough they are so tasty it's a shame to use them just for Halloween.

Of course, you do not just have to make these with pumpkin, I've made them just as well with boiled and mashed gem squash, but you could also use sweet potatoes, bananas or any starchy base that you can mash.

The basic spice blend here is what's known as 'allspice' in the UK and 'pumpkin pie spice' in the US.

You could buy canned pumpkin for this recipe, but it's so easy to make your own pumpkin purée that there's no need to bother. Just peel and de-seed pumpkin then steam until tender. Mash with a fork then press through a fine-meshed sieve with the back of a spoon to purée.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Biscuits (Cookies) Recipe

Makes:36

Ingredients:

250g (2 cups) plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

200g (1 cup) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature

200g (1 cup, packed) light brown sugar

200g (1 cup) granulated sugar

220g (1 cup) pumpkin purée

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

175g (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats

125g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips

100g (1 cup) dried cranberries

Method:

Mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Soften the butter in a separate bowl, add the sugars and cream with the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition. Now add the pumpkin purée and the vanilla extract, beating well to combine. 

Gradually work in the flour mixture, mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips and dried cranberries then drop the dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof (waxed) paper.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170ºC (350ºF) and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the biscuits (cookies) are golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes then carefully transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

To keep, store in an air-tight tin.

As a thank-you for reading this Halloween-themed recipe (and hopefully preparing it!), I have teamed with the Celtnet Recipes website to give anyone who wants it a completely free eBook of Halloween recipes. Simply go to the download your free Halloween recipes eBook and grab your copy today, absolutely no strings attached.