12 Days of Christmas: Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cookies

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the 2014 edition of The 12 Days of Christmas Treats! Over 12 days we’ll bring you a new, scrumptious recipe for a holiday cookie, cake, or other sweet treat. Whether you leave them out for Santa or simply sample them all yourself is up to you, we just encourage you to try them all! Leave your comments below each recipe and upload a photo if you make your own batch at home. Season’s Eatings!

by Amy Johnson, Director of Communications & Administration, Rocket Sports Media

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Who says pumpkin is only an autumn ingredient?  You can dress it up for the holidays quite easily by adding some caramel!  These cookies have the fluffy texture of cake, and taste best when still warm.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cookies
Recipe Courtesy: FoxNews.com

Prep/Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
Yield: about 60 cookies

Ingredients: 
2½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 can (14 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup caramel ice cream topping
sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of your mixer, beat together your sugar and butter until well combined, about 1 minute.

2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.

3. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and beat until well combined.

4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add it to the pumpkin mixture, a bit at a time, until completely combined.

5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure everything is even, then pour in half of your caramel and lightly fold it in. Add in the other half of the caramel and lightly fold it in.  Scoop 1½-tablespoon sized dollops of dough onto your baking sheets, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, and bake for 11-13 minutes, until set but not golden.

6. Allow to cool before removing from the sheets, and continue with the remaining dough. Wait until they are completely cooled and have been out for at least a few hours before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next holiday recipe – a classic Christmas treat! And if you missed any of our previous recipes in this series, take a moment to check them out below:

Day 1 – Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Day 2 – Lemon-Ginger Wafers
Day 3 – Santa Hat Brownies
Day 4 – Walnut-Maple Sandies
Day 5 – English Pudding Petits Fours, Chocolate Raspberry Wreaths
Day 6 – Maple Butter Kiss Cocktail
Day 7 – Glazed Angel Food Cake
Day 8 – Warm and Fuzzy Cocoa
Day 9 – Pecan Pie Bars
Day 10 – Red Velvet Crackle Cookies

Photo credits: Amy Johnson

Tags: baking, caramel, christmas, cookies, dessert, featured, holiday, pumpkin, treats