Congratulations to the latest winner of the Handcrafted Cookie Co.‘s Quarterly Cookie Contest, Allison Duncan. Duncan’s Spiced Pumpkin Maple Nut Cookies took the delicious honors this baking quarter. Here’s the dish on the victorious baker from the organic cookie company and lucky for us, they have revealed her prize-winning recipe, too.
Duncan, a Malvern resident, works as a marketing writer in Broomall and has always enjoyed baking as a hobby. For her cookie recipe entry, Duncan said she “wanted to add a twist and some extra flavor to the classic pumpkin cookie, and I thought maple syrup might be a good complement to the hearty flavor of the squash.”
To this combination, she added some almond meal and ground her own spices in a coffee grinder for an extra kick.
“I love experimenting with recipes, and I like to go to Indian grocery stores to buy whole spices to grind just before baking so that they are fresh and flavorful,” she added.
Duncan said she also likes to bake muffins and quick breads, especially if they contain pumpkin.
“My mother likes to say she has a ‘ministry of pumpkin bread,’ since she often bakes bread for friends who are moving, recovering from illness, having a new baby, or beginning college,” Duncan said. “I have tried to do the same for some of my friends.”
Allison Duncan’s Spiced Pumpkin Maple Nut Cookies
½ cup butter or shortening (we use Plugra butter)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (fresh is best but canned is OK)
1 cups maple syrup (darker, grade B is recommended)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup almond flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 cups toasted chopped walnuts
1. Cream butter/shortening and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until thoroughly combine
3. Add maple syrup, pumpkin and vanilla and mix well
4. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine; add to creamed mixture
5. Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat
6. Bake 12-15 minutes
Congratulations Allison! For her efforts, she will receive a Handcrafted gift basket valued at $60. Duncan’s winning cookies are available in-store at The Handcrafted Cookie Co., 24 S. Main St., Phoenixville, both baked and in frozen dough form, for a limited time.
For details about the next Quarterly Cookie Contest, visit www.thehandcraftedcookiecompany.com
