Fall Leaves and Pumpkins (Chocolate Cookies)
When the leaves start to change color, I can’t resist making Chocolate Cutout Cookies in the shapes of leaves, pumpkins, and acorns. Sometimes I’ll add a squirrel-shaped cookie to the batch if the squirrels haven’t been too pesty during the summer. If they’ve dug up all my potted plants and terrorized the birds I try to attract into my garden, well, then I refuse to give them any attention when it comes to making fall cookies.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower.” Albert Camus
Decorating leaves and pumpkins with shiny, vanilla-bean glaze makes them look so pretty. And the chocolate cookie is such a nice way to transition into autumn as summer winds down. I always make my Classic Sugar Cookie recipe, too, for those who prefer a more traditional flavor.
My Favorite Autumn Quotes
- “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ~Stanley Horowitz
- “It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in Autumn.” ~B.C. Forbes
- “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” ~George Eliot
Cookie specifics
Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookies. A chocolate-lover’s dream, these cutout cookies are rich and chocolatey. I use them as the cookie base for my chocolate cookie pops and ganache-filled sandwich cookies!
Classic Sugar Cookie. This classic sugar cookie brings back memories of the Christmas cookies my mother made during the holidays...with a bold vanilla flavor and slightly soft texture, they make me smile every time I eat one.
The Almond Cinnamon Cookies are a favorite of mine. The cookie itself is very buttery and not too sweet. They are coated with cinnamon sugar... the perfect fall flavors. I mention it on this page not because is a leaf or a pumpkin, but because it’s a perfect Autumn “cutout” cookie. You don’t decorate it in the traditional sense of using royal icing, but you do have to cut it out with a round cookie cutter(!), so it’s tecnically a cutout cookie.
FALL SHAPES
The leaves are big and small maple leaves, oak leaves, aspen leaves, rose leaves, acorns, pumpkins, and squirrels (sometimes).
The Almond Cinnamon Cookies are a simple 2½-inch round cookie cutter.
Sizes
Sizes range from mini (2 inches) to large (4 inches). 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating!
Cookie Recipe from This Talented Cookie Artist
Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookies. Original recipe from Lila Loa.
The Fruits of My Labor
Classic Sugar Cookie. A recipe based on one from Mrs. Gregor, a neighbor of my mom’s when she was a newlywed.
Almond Cinnamon Cookies. The cookie version of FRENCH BREAKFAST PUFFS. Imagine a cookie that tastes like a delicate coffee cake, dipped in melted butter and coated with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Breakfast in a cookie.
Cookies
Chocolate Cookies: flour, cocoa, butter, sugar, vegetable shortening, egg, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, salt
Classic Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt
Almond Cinnamon Cookies: flour, almond meal, confectioner’s sugar, granulated sugar, egg, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Vanilla-Bean Glaze (Leaves & Pumpkins): sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring, vanilla extract for flavoring; detail work done in thick vanilla-bean glaze as well
Almond Cinnamon Cookie: sugar, cinnamon
Plate, Box or Bag?
Box. Since I was giving a dozen of the cutout cookies to a friend, I packaged them in a cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top that made the contents visible to anyone who wanted to peek. A dozen of the Almond Cinnamon Cookies also fit nicely into a cardboard bakery box.
Bags. I wrapped some of the cutout cookie individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This makes the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. When packaged this way, they look like little presents. I also packaged the Almond Cinnamon Cookies in clear plastic bags to give as gifts.
Mailing. I mailed the bagged cookies to my family throughout the U.S. When mailing cookies, I always send them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged. I know the packages are appreciated when they arrive because of the texts I get with all those smiling faces.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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