Pumpkin Coquito Cookies
Since fall has finally arrived, it’s only mandatory that I share a sweet treat to kick off the beginning of the baking season: cookies. More specifically, Pumpkin Coquito Cookies.
Coquito is a Puerto Rican eggnog-like drink made with coconut, vanilla, and rum, usually sipped on around the holidays. These cookies are packed with all those flavors and more. The batter is brimming with pumpkin, coconut rum, vanilla, and spices. Once the cookies are baked, they’re topped with a spiced coconut rum glaze and toasted coconut flakes.
I am not the best baker, but I’ve been challenging myself this year to become a better one. This was a particularly tough challenge because so many of the ingredients to get both the coquito and pumpkin flavors are wet, which is the opposite of what you want in a cookie. I went through SO many trials with this recipe until I landed on a cookie worth sharing, and here’s what I learned:
You absolutely have to cook the canned pumpkin first to remove some of the moisture, or else your cookies will not stay together and will turn out like a dry cupcake in a cookie shape. Don’t skip this step.
This recipe has no eggs because the pumpkin is essentially fulfilling the same purpose as eggs. When I tried adding eggs or even just yolks to the batter, the cookies turned out way too fluffy and cakey.
Baking soda > baking powder for these cookies. Baking powder creates an overall fluffier, airier cookie when it reacts with the pumpkin. Baking soda still aids in the rising process, but helps the dough spread more and create crispier edges.
More granulated than brown sugar for a crispier texture. I still use a mixture of both, though.
I baked a round of cookies right after mixing the dough and some cookies after chilling the dough first. Both turned out nearly identical. So, if you want to make this dough in advance and chill it, go for it.
Standard baking temp is 350ºF, but these are cooked at 375ºF to get a crispier bottom and chewier texture instead of super cakey and soft. These cookies are objectively soft as far as cookies go, but cooking them at a higher temp helps add more chew and a crisp texture.
Pumpkin Coquito Cookies
Yields 12 cookies | Prep time: 25 minutes | Bake time: 12 minutes
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup coconut rum (I used Malibu)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs. milk powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg and cloves
Coconut Rum Glaze:
1/3 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
1 tbs. coconut rum
1 tbs. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
Toasted coconut, for garnish
Flaky salt, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie sheet tray with parchment paper.
Add the pumpkin to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula until the pumpkin has slightly darkened in color, thickened, and reduced about by half. You don’t want it to stick to the bottom of the pan or start to caramelize/burn. Once it looks like it’s starting to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the rum. Allow the rum to bubble and reduce slightly (about 2 minutes). Then, add the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook until the butter is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
While the mixture is cooling: Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk all of the icing ingredients in another bowl and refrigerate until ready to drizzle. Toast the coconut (either in a toaster, on the stovetop, or in the preheated oven to get them golden.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry mixture and fold with the spatula until everything is just combined. Chill until ready to bake or bake right away.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the sheet tray about 2-3 inches apart. Give them a press to create a disc shape. Bake at 375ºF for 12 minutes. Allow to cool on the hot cookie sheet for 10 minutes before drizzling with the glaze and topping with coconut and flaky salt.
