Pumpkin Hojicha Twist
There’s a million pumpkin cookie recipes out there, and the “pick-me” part of myself always wants to bring something different and unique to the table. So I created these Pumpkin Hojicha Cookies that have the same cozy spices that are quintessential to fall but with a nutty twist. These cookies are a combination of a pumpkin spice cookie dough swirled with a hojicha cookie dough. If you haven’t heard of hojicha, it’s a green tea that’s roasted so it has more of a deep toasted flavor. The warmth from the pumpkin spice and roasted tea pair so perfectly together it makes me want to cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea.
Browned Butter Fall
To start the cookie dough we’re going to make browned butter. I absolutely love incorporating brown butter into as many recipes as I can for the fall because it really helps to develop a nutty, caramelized base flavor. So add the butter to a pan and heat over medium low heat. Once it has melted, increase the heat to medium and continue to let it bubble for 8-10 minutes until it turns into a golden brown color. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In the meantime add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon into a bowl. Mix with a whisk so the ingredients are evenly combined.
Transfer the browned butter into a large bowl, making sure to scrape in the milk solids at the bottom of the pan. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until combined. Then mix in the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 5 tablespoons of the milk. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, make sure to not over-mix.
Swirl and Bake
Divide the cookie dough in half and transfer one half into a separate bowl. To one bowl, add in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a few drops of orange food coloring if desired. Mix until combined. In the other bowl, sift in the hojicha powder and remaining tablespoon of milk. Mix until combined. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop up about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin dough then scoop up 1 tablespoon of the hojicha dough. Release the cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Continue to scoop the remaining cookies. You should yield about 21 cookies. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Arrange the cookies dough balls so that they’re 2½ inches part. Sprinkle white sesame seeds on top of each cookie. Bake for about 14 minutes until the edges are set but the center is still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and firmly tap the baking sheet onto the surface so the cookies flatten. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Sweet And Salty
These Pumpkin Hojicha Cookies are truly unique and absolutely addictive. It’s almost on the border of a sweet and salty cookie because the roasted flavor of the hojicha combined with the salt almost gives the cookie a savory bite. And if you know me, I love a sweet and salty combination because I feel like it keeps the palate interested bouncing between the two flavors. These cookies also have the perfect texture — slightly crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. I truly can’t think of a better treat to bake up for the fall. So if you’re looking to switch things up this fall and try something new, definitely add these Pumpkin Hojicha Cookies to the list!
Pumpkin Hojicha Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¾ tsp Baking Soda
- ⅛ tsp Cinnamon
- 1¼ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 6 tbsp Whole Milk
- ¼ cup Pumpkin Puree
- ½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Orange Food Coloring (optional)
- 1 tbsp Hojicha Powder
- 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Add the butter to a pan and heat over medium low heat. Once it has melted, increase the heat to medium and continue to let it bubble for 8-10 minutes until it turns into a golden brown color. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- In the meantime add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon into a bowl. Mix with a whisk so the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Transfer the browned butter into a large bowl, making sure to scrape in the milk solids at the bottom of the pan. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until combined. Then mix in the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 5 tablespoons of the milk. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, make sure to not over-mix.
- Divide the cookie dough in half and transfer one half into a separate bowl. To one bowl, add in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a few drops of orange food coloring if desired. Mix until combined. In the other bowl, sift in the hojicha powder and remaining tablespoon of milk. Mix until combined. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop up about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin dough then scoop up 1 tablespoon of the hojicha dough. Release the cookie dough onto the parchment line baking sheet. Continue to scoop the remaining cookies. You should yield about 21 cookies. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Arrange the cookies dough balls so that they're 2½ inches part. Sprinkle white sesame seeds on top of each cookie. Bake for about 14 minutes until the edges are set but the center is still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and firmly tap the baking sheet onto the surface so the cookies flatten. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
