Dense and Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

I submitted this recipe to be part of the Gluten Free Cookie Swap and would love a vote by clicking 'like'....there are LOADS of yummy submissions to drool over, so check it out!

These cookies are nothing short of amazing...in my humble opinion that is!  I had a discovered this recipe in "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar," for an excellent gluten-filled pumpkin treat: Sell Your Soul Pumpkin Cookies".  So off to the drawing board I went to make these gluten free.  The idea for cooking the the pumpkin down came straight from these great ladies' cookbook (Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero).  If you have never enjoyed one of their vegan cookbooks, you're missing out!!  I succeeded in keeping the same lovely dense cookie texture that I love, and I bet many of YOU do too!.  Many pumpkin cookies are very cakey as there is so much moisture in the pumpkin: it makes a cakey result inevitable.  If you love pumpkin as much as we do, dive in....these are worth the extra step!

Makes about 15-18 cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookie

1 cup canned pumpkin (I used my own, but I am familiar with the texture needed, so for consistency's sake, you may want to start with the canned variety - but NOT the pumpkin pie mix, just plain old pumpkin)**
1/2 cup Spectrum Shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
(the original gluten recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup oat flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional add in's: raisins, cranberries, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips (for those who can do dairy), pumpkin seeds, or chopped nuts.

**If you would like to try making your own pumpkin or squash puree, please refer to this post for how to bake your own squash or pumpkin.

Cook the canned pumpkin over a low simmer until reduced to about a 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes or more.  The pumpkin should be steaming and bubbling lightly as you gently heat it to evaporate some of the water to condense it, stir it occasionally.  Cool.  Cream the shortening and the sugars in a mixer until creamy.  Beat in vanilla and the cooled pumpkin.  Sprinkle in the flours, guar gum, cinnamon, and salt.  beat until well blended.  You mix in any additional add in's at this point if desired.  The dough should be very stiff and dry feeling.  You should be able to easily pick up a chunk and gently roll it into a ball without it sticking to your hands.  If you need to, add in some more flour to make this happen, 2 tablespoons at a time, any of the flours from above will do!  Place golf-ball size balls of dough on a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet.  Use your hand to gently press the tops down slightly, these do not rise or fall much!  Bake in a 350 degree oven  for 12 minutes until turning just golden around the edges.  You want to just lightly under-bake these, and let them cool and set out of the oven to keep the texture perfect!

If you'd like to top with icing, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance.  Add just enough milk (1-3 teaspoons) of any variety to make a thick icing to dollop on top of the cookies, it should not be thin, and should stay put when placed on top of the cookie!

This recipe was shared on Crazy Sweet Tuesday,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Something Swanky, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays and Just Another Meatless Monday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Lunchbox Love, and Gluten Free Wednesday