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Pumpkin tangzhong cookies topped with flaky salt.

Pumpkin Tangzhong Cookies

5 from 1 review
Ah yes, I'm back with another crazy pumpkin cookie. But when my classic recipe is so good, I have to do something really excellent to top them! Enter scene: these. They are a labor of love, they do benefit from you being pretty particular, but the result is a fully baked cookie that tastes soft and sticky like a pumpkin cookie dough. A fall-spiced delight, I'll always say.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 16

Equipment

Ingredients

For the pumpkin tangzhong
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
  • 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour
For the cookies
  • 1 cup (226g) salted butter
  • 3 tablespoons (40g) milk powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 180 grams granulated sugar
  • 180 grams brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (175g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (35g) rye flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 9 ounces milk or dark chocolate, reserve 2 ounce for topping

Instructions 

  1. Add the can of pumpkin purée and 70 grams of all-purpose flour to a pot. Place the pot over medium heat and mix into a paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes. You’ll see the pumpkin mixture transform into a thick paste, almost like drying glue, and the pumpkin will start to cling to the bottom in a film and get one shade darker in color. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  2. In a separate pan, add 226 grams of butter and 40 grams of milk powder. Brown these together, stirring constantly because the milk powder has a tendency to scorch. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
  3. Pour the brown butter mixture into a bowl. Place the bowl over an ice bath and whisk until the butter firms up to softened-butter texture, around 3-4 minutes.
  4. Once the butter has firmed up, add it to a stand mixer along with 180 grams of granulated sugar and 180 grams of brown sugar. Beat for 9-10 minutes (really!) until fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Mix again for 2-3 minutes until it looks whipped.
  5. In that downtime, whisk together 175 grams of all-purpose flour, 35 grams of rye flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix. Then add 200 grams of the pumpkin tangzhong and mix on the lowest setting until combined. Make sure to scrape down the bowl well during this time, dough can sneakily get stuck at the bottom of the mixer.
  7. Mix in 7 ounces of chopped chocolate. The dough will be incredibly soft, so cover it with cling wrap and chill overnight up to 48 hours.
  8. When you are reading to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F convection or 375°F standard.
  9. Scoop 16-17 cookies into 3 ounce balls (don't go any larger or they may not set in the center). Dot with the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate.
  10. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, the will spread a ton and look a little underdone in the center. Give them a big smack on the counter, then use a bowl to swirl around the cookie’s edges when it’s still warm, forming them into crispy-edged-gooey-center perfect circles.
  11. Let these cool for at least 45 minutes (they’ll be too tender to eat before then), then enjoy!

Notes

This recipe will only use half of the amount of pumpkin tangzhong made but it stores really well in the fridge for up to two weeks. With the leftovers, you could make another batch or use it in either this vegan brioche or honey butter milk buns.
 
***Confused about the tangzhong? Watch my YouTube video for more visuals for it!
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 14g