Recipe: Pumpkin or Apple Cookie Tartlets

Pumpkin or Apple Cookie Tartlets

These require a special mold--usually called a "pineapple tart mold." It's intended for an Indonesian specialty, but these molds make wonderful cookies as well, and are very easy to use. I like the apple jelly for apple pies and the honey for the pumpkin pies.

1 cup (225 grams) butter or margarine

1 large egg

1/2 cup (120 milliliters) apple jelly or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup or 100 grams sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

About 4 cups (585 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Melt the butter. Set aside.

2. Beat the egg in a large bowl.

3. Mix the honey or jelly, vanilla extract, and milk. Add to the egg.

4. Mix the sugar and salt. Add to the egg mixture.

5. Add the butter slowly to the egg mixture and beat well.

6. Add flour slowly until the mixture is solid enough to knead. If you are using an electric mixer, stop the mixer once or twice as you add flour, and scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the flour mixed in.

7. Transfer the dough to a counter or breadboard and knead in more flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.

8. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

9. Roll and form the dough according to the directions for your mold.

10. Chill the cookies while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).

11. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges.

Fill with commercial pumpkin pie or apple pie filling, pumpkin or apple butter, or with your own pre-cooked pumpkin or apple pie filling. It's best to add the filling just before serving.

This month's technique section explains how to make a cookie sheet full of these tartlets with very little trouble or handling. Here's the tart mold, which is available from Biodiversity Herbs.