Frosted Fonio Pumpkin Cookies
October 13, 2020 by Max Baroni
A pumpkin cookie worth savoring. This light and fluffy cream cheese frosted cookie will have people coming back for thirds. While this might look like an ordinary cookie, these thick and sweet pumpkin treats are soft and cake-like because of the spongy texture that fonio has. This batter is wetter than most cookie dough, so don’t fret if you can roll it into perfect balls. Refrigerate unfrosted for up to 4 days, or 2 day frosted. If you have any leftover dough, it can be frozen for up to 3 months!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups finely ground almond flour
- ¼ cup dry Yolélé fonio, cooked and cooled according to package
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup plain canned pumpkin
- 1 egg
- 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Preparation
- 01 . To prepare the Dough
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 02 .
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, fonio, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- 03 .
In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, white and brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the pumpkin and egg, and continue to mix until smooth. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and whisk slowly, until well incorporated but not over-mixed.
- 04 .
Refrigerate dough in a covered bowl for 20 minutes.
- 05 .
Scoop out dough with a tablespoon and use the back of another spoon to scrape dough onto the baking sheet.
- 06 .
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until your cookies have browned on bottom and are holding their shape. Remove baking sheets from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- 07 . For the Frosting
In a stand mixer, whisk the softened cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
- 08 .
Add the salt, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium until well mixed and creamy, about 1 minute.
- 09 .
Your frosting should be light and creamy and hold its shape. Avoid over-beating or your frosting will become too light and whipped.
- 10 .
Frost your cooled cookies. Lather on a thick layer and garnish with a sprinkle of salt for some enhanced flavors.
