Description
Discover delightful acorn cookies, a unique autumn treat. My simple recipe brings warmth and a touch of woodland magic to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Base Essentials:
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sweet & Spicy Touches:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Acorn Cap Topping:
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 12–15 pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Creaming the Butter & Sugars:: First up, grab your room temperature butter and both sugars. Pop them into your stand mixer (or a big bowl with a hand mixer, no judgment!). Cream these together on medium speed until they’re light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step is super important for the texture of your acorn cookies, trapping air for that lovely tenderness. I always get a little excited when it turns pale and cloud-like; it means we’re off to a good start!
- Adding the Wet Goodies:: Now, scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add in that single egg yolk and the vanilla extract. Beat again until everything is just combined. Don’t overmix here, hon! We’re just looking for everything to come together, not to develop arm muscles. This mixture will smell so comforting already, a hint of the delightful acorn cookies to come.
- Whisking the Dry Ingredients:: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Give it a good whisk to make sure all those spices are evenly distributed. This prevents any surprise pockets of salt or cinnamon in your acorn cookies, which I’ve definitely had happen before, not my finest moment!
- Combining Wet and Dry:: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to your wet mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. Stop as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing is the enemy of tender acorn cookies, making them tough, and we don’t want that! The dough will be soft and pliable, a perfect canvas for our little acorns.
- Shaping the Acorn Cookies:: Time for the fun part! Roll the dough into small, oval-shaped pieces, about 1-inch long. Think of them as tiny, plump acorns. Place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This is where my kitchen gets a little messy, with flour dusting everything, but it’s all part of the charm, right?
- Baking and Decorating:: Bake your acorn cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, press a few mini chocolate chips onto one end for the ‘cap’ and a small piece of pretzel stick into the other for the ‘stem.’ Voila! Adorable, delicious acorn cookies!