Pear Shaped Fall Cookies

Pear and pecan mixed together can create a wonderful fall weather treat. Add a hint of pumpkin pie spice and you have the perfect combination for a delicious Fall cookie that will warm hearts and please the kids.

A quick note: I bake gluten-free, and often use special flours that are less than common. I have found some flours that can be exchanged cup for cup, which is a rare treat. If you are following my recipe, feel free to use regular flour in the same measurements. Cup for cup flour exchange is so awesome and works out great for recipes that I have had for a long time, dearly love, and want to keep using. If you want to use regular flour, this recipe will work for you as it is written.

For my spicy fall cookies I used an all purpose gluten-free flour from Jule’s Gluten Free Flour. This flour is amazing; my recipes turn out just like the ‘real deal‘!

These cookies are soft and delicious with a subtle hint of pear, and pumpkin. (–note: I didn’t have any pumpkin spice on hand so I improvised with nutmeg and ground cloves.) You can leave the pecans out if you want but I think these cookies are wonderful with the nuts. These cookies are also a great way to use up those pears that are starting to get a little mushy. You can use firm pears too, but I prefer to eat those, and save the mushy ones for baking.

So start up the fireplace, and sit down with a book, some hot chocolate and some delicious ‘fall is the in air‘ pear-pecan cookies. Yummy, if I may say so myself.

–Enjoy

Ingredients:

• 2/3 C sugar
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C butter (1 cube)
• 1/4 C pear nectar or milk
• 1 egg
• 2 C flour (I used Jule’s gluten free all purpose flour -It works cup for cup.)
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 medium peeled and chopped pear (1 cup) ripe pear is best
• 1 C chopped pecans
• whole cloves

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly greese cookie sheet and set aside.
• Combine both sugars and butter in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Add the pear nectar and egg and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Reduce speed to low and add flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda. Beat for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the pears and pecans by hand.

You can make a simple round cookie by using a scoop to drop dough onto cookie sheet, or if you prefer to make a pear shaped cookie, it’s a little more work, but they turn out really cute.

Drop 1 rounded teaspoon of dough onto cookie sheet. Then drop 1/2 teaspoon of rounded dough right next to but not touching the first dough. Put 1 whole clove into the ‘top’ of the small drop of dough to resemble the stem of a pear.

Place cookies 2 inches apart as they will spread and run together.

Bake for 11-13 minutes and cool for at least 5 minutes before trying to move them to a cooling rack.

Frosting:

• 4 C powdered sugar
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
• 3-4 T milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter in a standing mixer with a whisk.
Mix on low speed until well blended.
Add vanilla, spice and milk and beat for 3 minutes.
Frost cooled cookies and viola; a beautiful scrumptious fall treat!

–For more fun fall baking visit my blog at https://glutenfreeflowergirl.com

–Happy Baking!