Towards the end of September, I start to get excited because autumn is on its way! Pumpkins start to appear outside of markets and shops and I get an overwhelming urge to start baking. I’ve been pretty preoccupied with a new house lately, but as soon as the calendar turned to October, the baking sheets came out!

Pumpkin cookies are an old favourite recipe at this time of year. Not only are they a food endemic to North America, but they are one of the harbingers of the season. And delicious to eat in many forms, be it cakes, cookies, loaves, or even in savoury dishes. This pumpkin cookie combines pumpkin with the traditional spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, with raisins to create a soft cookie that is not overly sweet. It could be iced with cream cheese icing, or a simple citrus glaze, but I like mine plain. The recipe freezes well, and it can be doubled easily.

Pumpkin Cookies (recipe originally from Company’s Coming Cookies cookbook)

Makes about 60 cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh cooked and mashed)

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup raisins (sultanas)

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Stir mixture together.
3. In a large bowl, stir remaining ingredients together. Add in pumpkin mixture, and mix well.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased pan.
5. Cook in oven for about 15, or until lightly browned.