Spiced Honeynut Squash Olive Oil Cookies

Spiced Honeynut Squash Olive Oil Cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes, 5 hour chill period to overnight

Cook Time: 60 - 75 minutes

Servings: ~ 16 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie dough

• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (85 grams)
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar (150 grams)
• ¼ cup white sugar (50 grams)
• ⅓ cup honeynut squash puree - only one squash is needed here (75 grams)
• 1 egg yolk at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (165 grams)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Crispy honeynut squash seed topping

• Seeds from one honeynut squash, cleaned and dried
• Olive oil to coat
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt and cayenne

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the honeynut squash in half, remove the seeds (but save the seeds and set them aside), drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, and roast cut-side down until tender. This takes about 30 - 35 minutes depending on the size of your squash.
2. Allow the squash to cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Add the honeynut squash puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined. Refrigerate for an hour, then scoop the cookies into small balls (about 2 tbsp per cookie). Place them back in the fridge for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. *
6. With the leftover seeds, clean them and pat them dry. Preheat the oven to 325.
7. Add the seeds to a parchment-lined baking tray, along with a drizzle of olive oil to coat, a dash of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper.
8. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are golden and crisp. Allow to cool.
9. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, turn the oven up to 350 F. Add the cookie dough balls to the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room in between each, and top with a few squash seeds.
10. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked. Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
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*At this point, you can top them with the baked honeynut squash seeds and freeze them until you’re ready to bake.