Autumn Mix Cookies

Instructions

1. Line a loaf pan with wax or parchment paper that comes up the sides to make the dough easier to remove later.
2. To a bowl of 3 cups all-purpose flour, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt and stir to combine and set aside.
3. To a stand mixer or large bowl, add 1 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar and cream together until fluffy scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the large egg and stir to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture. When a dough comes together, make sure all ingredients from the bottom are incorporated.
5. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
6. Take the first ball and make a bit of a log out of it and place it in the bottom of the loaf pan. Press it into all of the crevices of the pan.
7. Next is the orange layer. Use orange gel food coloring if you have it or if you’re old school, add about 3 drops of red and 4 drops of yellow to the dough and begin to mash it together to combine until the dough is orange. Press the orange dough on top of the first layer.
8. Take your ounce of chocolate and heat it for 30-40 secs and stir until melted.
9. The last layer we’re going to divide in half for different colored tops. Remove one of the balls and add about 4 drops of yellow to the dough and begin mixing the dough until it turns yellow.
10. To the other ball, add the melted chocolate and begin mashing it into the dough until it’s completely chocolate colored.
11. Wash your hands and then press the yellow dough into one side of the layered dough, making sure it’s even. Repeat on the other side with the chocolate dough, again making sure it’s even.
12. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 2 hours until completely chilled.
13. While that’s chilling, we’ll make our shortbread dough.
14. To a mixer or large bowl, add 1 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar.
15. Cream together until fluffy then add 1 tsp maple or vanilla extract. To a small bowl of 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, add 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine. Add the flour gradually to the butter sugar mixture.
16. Remove 1/3 of the dough and use 4 drops of red and 4 drops of yellow to make orange dough as you mash.
17. To the remaining dough, add green food coloring and mash until the dough is a nice bright green.
18. To another lined loaf pan press the orange dough evenly into the pan. Flatten out the green dough as much as possible and press it on top of the orange dough making sure to get into the corners.
19. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. If it’s already been 2 hours, grab your candy corn dough and use a spatula or food scraper tool to loosen the sides of the pan. (I like to have a paper towel handy to wipe it clean so I don’t transfer the colors.)
20. Pull the sides of the wax or parchment paper to lift it out and peel off the paper. Using a long knife or better yet, the food scraper, cut 1/2” thick slices lengthwise across the loaf.
21. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
22. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the dough into candy corn wedges.
23. Cut the correct side with yellow or brown on top wider and the opposite wedge you have to make smaller so you don’t waste the dough. (See video)
24. Place them on a lined cookie sheet and bake them for 7-8 minutes. (DO NOT overbake or you will turn the white tips brown!) Set the timer for 6 minutes and start keeping an eye on them.
25. When you are done with the candy corn it is imperative to turn the oven down to 300 or you will burn the shortbread pumpkins!
26. When the pumpkin dough is fully chilled for an hour, repeat the cutting process with the strips and keep a paper towel on hand. (The best tool to use for this is a melon baller.)
27. Position the larger end so you get enough green on top to make that iconic stem with the green coming down onto the pumpkin.
28. Lightly press then peel the ball out.
29. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a stem into the middle making sure to keep as much green on the pumpkin as possible.
30. Then stand the pumpkin up and lightly press the round sides downward to give that bell appearance like the real candy.
31. Using the paring knife, cut some indentations into the pumpkin to not just serve as decoration but the proper steam cuts needed for shortbread.
32. Dip the pumpkin into pumpkin spice sugar.
33. Place them on a lined cookie sheet and bake in a 300 degree oven for 25 minutes and allow to cool before serving.