Hey there, pumpkin! Today I wanted to share with you an adorable and fun fall cookie idea. We’ll sandwich my delicious and chewy, no spread cut-out sugar cookies with a light buttercream to create charming 3D pumpkin cookie stacks. Plus, I’ll show you how to easily create a complementary wooden “pumpkin patch” welcome sign to take the cuteness to a whole new level.
These cookies are my absolute favorite for, well, two main reasons. To start, they’re absolutely divine! Chewy, sweet, and full of almond flavor, I use a few secret ingredients to enhance the typical sugar cookie monotony. And, now, you can, too!
Secondly, the title doesn’t lie when it boasts, “no spread cut-out” sugar cookies. I’ve played with this recipe for a while to bring you a truly effortless, tasty cookie that keeps a pristine shape through and after baking.
This simple recipe is great because you can whip it up quickly if you need dessert in a hurry, or you can take your time and make it into a fun, kid-friendly activity! With just a few ingredients and baking materials, you can create an artistic, festive little dessert presentation. And, cookie stacks are GREAT for gifting, too!
Having said that, let’s get started baking!
First, Gather Your Mise en Place
Before starting to bake, it’s essential to ensure you have the proper materials. I’ve included links to each of the items, in case you need to supplement your baking collection. I am an Amazon affiliate, so my site makes a commission on applicable sales, at no additional cost to you. You can find more info on that in my full disclosure (see bottom of the page.)
To create pretty pumpkin sugar cookie stacks, you’ll need:
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap and parchment paper
- Chef’s and paring knives
- Baking sheet
- Rolling pin
- Rectangular cookie cutter (optional)
- Piping bags
- Wilton piping tips, or similar
- Open star (21)
- Large and small round (3 or 4 and 10 or 12)
- Basketweave (47 or 48)
- Toothpicks
- Food coloring gels
No Spread Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Stacks – Recipe & Method
Now that you have all of your materials in place, check out this simple recipe! Feel free to print it out, or save it for later using my ‘pin’-able Pinterest cards below!
Pumpkin Patch Buttercream No Spread Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Stacks
Ingredients
No Spread Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 stick room temperature butter
- 4 tbsp room temperature cream cheese
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Cherry-Vanilla American Buttercream
- 1 cup room temperature butter (2 sticks)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 20-25 drops spiced cherry bitters, to taste (found in cocktail section)
- 2 tbsp room temperature heavy cream (you may not need it/all of it)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, and salt. Corn starch softens the proteins of the flour, giving you a more tender cookie.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Then, with the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine with a spatula until a dough starts to form.
- Split the dough into four equal amounts. Set out three pieces of plastic wrap on your workspace. Place each section of dough onto a piece of plastic, but on one of the plastics, place TWO of the four "sections" of dough. Knead the dough slightly between the plastic until it comes together in a log form. Roll and shape the two smaller cylinders of dough until they have an approximate cross-section diameter of 1½ and 2½ inches. Then, the last, larger quantity of dough, should measure about 2 inches in diameter. (See photo for size illustration.) The measurements don't have to be exact, but to create a round, 3-D pumpkin shape, you need to stack cookies of varying diameters/sizes. Place each of the logs into the freezer to chill for about 45 minutes.
- Once the dough feels firm to the touch, remove and unwrap each log. Cut off ½-¾ of an inch from each edge to create sharp, clean lines. Place this leftover dough into a pile for later. Then, slice the longest log (the middle measurement in diameter) in half once, lengthwise, to create two, shorter logs. Then, cut each of the four logs of dough you now have into eight cookies each.
- On three parchment papered baking sheets, lay the cookies, organized by size. Bake them in an oven preheated to 375°F for 8-11 minutes, depending on the size. If you don't have three cookie sheets, you can bake them one size at a time, keeping the other cookies on a plate in the refrigerator until they are ready to go in. The smallest cookies will take the least amount of time. Watch carefully for the cookies to look firmed up and smooth on the top. They won't spread, and they will not brown too much either. If you're unsure, tap the top of the cookie with your finger. If it feels solid, remove them from the oven. They bake quickly, so err on the side of taking them out too early rather than too late. Let them cool fully at room temperature before stacking.
- Knead the remaining dough into a ball and flatten with a rolling pin. Then, using a paring knife, cut out your welcome sign shape. I used a rectangle to trace the actual "sign" part, and then freehanded what would become the "post" of the sign (skinny rectangles) at the base and top. You should be able to make two signs with the remaining dough. Bake these pieces for about 9 minutes.
- In the meantime, cream your butter for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Then, cup by cup, add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the bowl between each addition. Then, add the vanilla and cherry bitters. Mix again. If your buttercream is too thick, you can add a little bit of the heavy cream to thin it out just slightly. Set some buttercream aside for detail work, and color the rest orange.
- To assemble your cookie stacks, fit a piping bag with Wilton's small star tip (21) and fill it with orange buttercream. Place one of the medium-sized cookies down first and pipe stars around the border and then in the middle. Then, gently set a large cookie on top, and pipe the stars again. Top that with another medium-sized circle, more buttercream, and, then, with the smallest-sized cookie. Pipe some neat, finishing stars on top. Now you have one cookie stack pumpkin. Repeat. Once all of the pumpkins are stacked, use an open circle tip and some brown buttercream to add a stem. Then, use a small circle tip to add a curly green vine.
- To decorate your welcome sign, fit a piping bag with the Wilton basketweave tip (47 or 48) and fill with brown buttercream. Pipe horizontally along sign, with the textured side of the tip facing up. Then, pipe vertically on the post sections. Use a toothpick to "roughen" some of the edges and create an authentic, natural woodgrain look. Then, use a small circle tip to add some grass detail and words. I liked the phrases "welcome" and "the pumpkin patch."
- These cookies will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Welcome To The Pumpkin Patch
I hope you enjoyed this no spread cut-out sugar cookie recipe! I know you’ll love the buttercream-stacked pumpkins.
These make great gifts, loosely wrapped in some cellophane and tied with an adorable ribbon! That is, if you can resist eating them all yourself. 🙂
Feel free to find me on Instagram so we can keep in touch! I share little behind-the-scenes blog snippets and other fun baking and life adventures there! Plus, I love to see what you’re working on, too! Tag me in any bakes so I can give them some love! 🙂
If you’re in the mood for another fall treat, check out my last creation: a delicious cinnamon apple layer cake, decorated with buttercream flowers and a few fluttering fondant monarchs! Or, click here to browse through my entire “Fall” collection of recipes.
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Bye, for now!
XOXO
P.S.
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P.P.S
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