Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Cookies

‘Come an’ see what I’ve bin growin’,’ said Hagrid, as Harry and Hermione finished the last of their tea.
In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid’s house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins Harry had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder.
‘Gettin’ on well, aren’t they?’ said Hagrid happily. ‘Fer the Hallowe’en feast … should be big enough by then.’
‘What’ve you been feeding them?’ said Harry.
Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.
‘Well, I’ve bin givin’ them – you know – a bit o’help.’

– Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 90.

I love Harry Potter’s magical world! And always when autumn comes I wish more than anything that my Hogwarts letter hadn’t been lost…

As some sort of consolation for all fellow muggle-born witches and wizards whose Hogwarts letter never found its way to them I’ve got here a lovely Harry Potter- inspired recipe: Pumpkin Cookies with a lightning bolt-shaped glaze.

They are easily made and – if you’ve got the pumpkin puree ready – also very quickly. When I bake them I listen to a Harry Potter audiobook or the wonderful soundtrack…and it feels almost as if I were at Hogwarts myself… Believe me, you ought to try it, too!

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Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Cookies

Preparation time: 10 min (if you’ve got some pumpkin puree ready) or 1h 30 min (if you don’t)
Baking time: 15-18 min
Yield: 40-50 cookies

Ingredients:

• 110g butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup muscovado sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree*
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. (freshly) ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp. ground cloves

• 1 ½ sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

* Just buy a pumpkin which is suited for baking (≠ those which are ideal for soup). Wash, cut open, remove the seeds and the skin and chop into small cubes. Cook with a bit of water until the pumpkin starts to “fall apart”. This will take about 30-60 minutes depending on your pumpkin. Now you can create the puree by simply stirring the pumpkin pulp with a (non-electric) whisk. Let it cool down. If you don’t need it all at once you can store the rest in your freezer.

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and smooth.
3. Add pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract until the whole mixture is well combined.
4. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and add gradually to the butter mixture. The dough should be soft but still malleable.
5. Form round dough balls about the size of a teaspoon and put them onto prepared baking tins (probably you’ll need about 3 tins until you’re done).
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-18 minutes.
7. Combine sifted powdered sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract to make the glaze. Fill the glaze into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a lightning bolt on every cookie (once they’re cooled down).

(recipe after http://www.verybestbaking.com)

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To get a printed version: Download the pdf.
(Both English and German versions available!)

Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Cookies

Harry Potters Kürbis Cookies