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Halloween Pumpkin Nutella Cookies

Nutella Halloween Cookies are pumpkin-shaped cookies filled with hazelnut cream. Here is our recipe for making easy Halloween treats.
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Halloween Pumpkin Nutella Cookies
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Prep 20 minutes
  • Cook 12 minutes
  • Servings 8 people

As the autumn leaves flutter and the crisp air hints at Halloween’s approach, our festive Nutella-stuffed pumpkin cookies emerge as a seasonal favorite. Crafted with the classic shortbread foundation, these pumpkin-shaped treats are infused with pumpkin puree for a touch of natural sweetness and color. To round out the fall flavor profile, a sprinkle of cinnamon is added, ensuring a burst of autumn in every bite.

While pumpkin puree adds a delightful hue to these cookies, if you’re not a pumpkin aficionado or it’s not handy in your pantry, fear not! You can still relish this recipe. Opt for a hint of food coloring or simply go without – your cookies might sport a paler shade but will be equally scrumptious.

But here’s the twist – hidden inside these Halloween delights is a luscious Nutella center. The union of buttery shortbread with rich hazelnut spread is a tried and true pairing found in many desserts. And trust us, it’s hard to stop at just one. Whether you’re treating yourself or the spirited trick-or-treaters, these cookies are sure to be a hit!

For a fun family activity, roll out the dough and let the young (and young at heart) decorate them. Just a tip: ensure some cookies remain hole-free, else the Nutella might make a sneaky escape!

To achieve that perfect pumpkin shape, we suggest a pumpkin cookie cutter. Amazon offers an array of designs, from the simple to the spooky. Alternatively, sketch a pumpkin on paper and use it as a shortbread shaping guide.

Planning a spook-tacular soirée on October 31st? Dive into our treasure trove of Halloween recipes. Standouts include the savory Pumpkin and Mushroom Halloween Cake, delightful Mummy Sausages, and the crowd-pleasing Halloween Monster Sandwiches.

More Pumpkin recipes to try:

Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. To prepare the Pumpkin Shortbread Dough needed for the Nutella Halloween Cookies, start by preparing the Pumpkin Puree which you can make by following our recipe Homemade Pumpkin Puree. Then place the sugar, chopped butter, a pinch of cinnamon powder in the pitcher of the planetary mixer and work with the whisk hook.

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  2. Add the two egg yolks and process until well blended with the butter and sugar.

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  3. Now put in the sifted flour, and work with the dough hook until a sandy mixture is obtained.

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  4. Add the pumpkin puree, knead again with the dough hook and once you have a well-uniform dough remove it, form it into a loaf and let it rest in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for 1 hour before using it.

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  5. After the shortcrust pastry has rested, remove it from the refrigerator and knead it by hand a few seconds to make it elastic again. Then roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured work surface to a thickness of about 5 mm.

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  6. Use your stencil to carve pumpkins from the shortbread. Depending on the type of mold, it may take more than one step to carve out the outline, eyes, and mouth. Remember that only half of your pumpkins will need to have holes for the eyes and mouth!

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  7. Place the shortbread pumpkins on a baking sheet with parchment paper, baking in a static oven at 180°C (360°F) for about 15 minutes. With these amounts you should come out with two bakes, be sure to monitor the cookies as they bake so they don’t burn.

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  8. Once baked and allowed to cool, it’s time to fill your cookies: spread a teaspoon of Nutella on the shortbread pumpkins (the bases without eye and mouth holes) and adhere the top of the cookie by applying light pressure.

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  9. Your Halloween Pumpkin Nutella Cookies are ready to enjoy! Spooky to the point and mouthwatering…

    Ricetta Biscotti Halloween Nutella

Alternatives

We have given you a very simple Nutella Halloween Cookies filling suggestion but no one forbids you to change the filling and opt for jam, for example. You will lose some color contrast but they will still be delicious.

Tips

To get perfect Nutella Halloween Cookies you have to roll out the shortbread well cold but most importantly do not add yeast. Baking is also very important because since these are thin cookies, it takes very little to burn them: never let them out of your sight.

Storage

Nutella Halloween Cookies will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container or tin.