Pumpkin Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Recipe provided by My Name is Yeh

Makes 16 – 18 cookies

For the orange center

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 20 drops red food coloring
• 20 drops yellow food coloring

For the outer chocolate section

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla and food coloring. With the food processor running, drizzle in the egg yolk mixture and process until it becomes a dough. Turn it out onto a clean work surface.

Shape the dough into a 9-inch long round log, then flatten slightly so it becomes an oval shape. Slice off a small bit of the dough on the end, and roll it out into a long skinny snake. Place this on top of the oval so that in a cross section, it becomes the pumpkin’s stem. Place the dough in the freezer while you make the chocolate dough.

To make the chocolate dough, pulse together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt. Add the butter and continue to pulse until it is a mealy texture.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and vanilla. With the food processor running, drizzle in the egg yolk mixture and process until it becomes a dough. Turn it out onto a clean work surface.

Roll the dough into 9-inch long skinny snakes. Stick these snakes around the perimeter of the orange dough, then roll the entire log a bit to smooth it out. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze 20 – 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Slice the log into 1/2-inch-thick disks, and place them on a baking sheet one inch apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.