While I was on a short break from baking I spent time painting, remodeling my kids rooms and participating in the Artist Trading Cards project. All these activities are coming to their end (will write about it in the future) and I am again longing to spend time with my favorite friends: flour, butter, rolling pin and the rest of the gang. 🙂 I really enjoy fall baking! When I think of fall baking, I think of apples, pumpkins, squash, cinnamon, brown sugar and fragrant aromas enveloping the whole house. Last week I baked a butternut squash for dessert and had about a half of it left. I came to the idea to use it as a filling for cookies. The cookies turned out to be a huge hit with my family and friends, so I hope you will enjoy them too. These are absolutely one of the best cookies I’ve ever made. They melt in your mouth and are delicious warm or cold, just by itself or paired up with a cup of milk, coffee or tea.
Butternut Squash Cookies
[printable recipe]Yields about 40 cookies
* First bake butternut squash or pumpkin with 50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar and 1 TBSP butter.
Cookie dough:
- 250 g (8.8 oz) butter (softened)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 350 g (12.3 oz) all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 250 g (8.8 oz) baked and mashed butternut squash (or pumkin)
- 50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 80 g (2.8 oz) walnuts (chopped)
* Before starting with the dough prepare a fresh butternut squash or pumpkin. I use butternut squash because is most flavorful in my opinion. You will need about half of one medium squash. Peel it, remove seeds and cut into cubes. Mix with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and one melted tablespoon of butter. Place it into a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 400 F (200 C).
For the cookie dough beat together softened butter, sugar and salt until foamy. Add one egg and egg yolk until incorporated and then add flour (little by little) until all used up. You may want to leave the dough in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour.
While the dough is resting mash 250 baked butternut squash, add brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Mix until well incorporated.
On a floured surface roll your dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1 ½ inches squares so your cookies are even in size. Pat each rectangle with your fingers until about 2 inches in diameter. Place a teaspoon of filling onto cookie dough, close it up and lightly flatten it. Place it onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat until all cookie dough is gone.
Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 12 minutes. Don’t let them brown, they need to stay light. Cool slightly and dust with powder sugar. These cookies melt in your mouth! You can also choose different fillings such as almond filling, poppy seed, chocolate, nutella, etc.
bakingwithsibella.com 
What a perfect combination for fall – squash, cookies, and Halloween
Thanks Darryl! My kids want me to make these for Halloween and they will decorate them. 🙂
Sounds pretty healthy for a cookie!
Haha, you’re right Mary Ann!
Interesting, these sound amazing!
http://www.glitzgirlzglamourguide.com
Thanks a lot!
This sounds like an amazing cookie Sibella, I love the filling! and all those wonderful spices
Thank you Sawsan! We have enjoyed them very much! 🙂
What a neat idea! These cookies look great!
Thanks so much, they were delicious!
What a great idea! they sound wonderful.
Thanks so much, they were super tasty! 🙂
Sibella with a cup of cappucino or cup of spiced cider and a crisp fall day these are a perfect treat. If I was a trick or treater I would want to come to your house for sure. Take care, BAM
Hello my friend, I would so love if you came to my house to Trick or Treat! 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
These remind me a tiny bit of my pumpkin cookies.. only yours have a yummy surprise in the middle!! I love these!! They must have tasted sensational. What a perfect recipe to get back into baking with:D xx
Thank you Barb! Yes, these were very yummy and my kids have requested them again for this weekend! 🙂
They look absolutely delicious. I love anything with Squash in it. Will have to pin this on my Pinterest Cookies Board for future use.
Thank you Kathleen and thanks for pinning it! 🙂
Looks delicious! Think I could even handle these gluten and dairy free. 🙂
April, give them a try! You will love them! 🙂
It never occurred to me when I was deciding what to do with my butternut squash to make a cookie! It sounds great; what an idea.
I have been tooling around your recipes and I like them very much. I will be back!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I am not sure myself how I got to the idea of filling cookies with butternut squash. It’s one of those ‘wow’ moments I guess! 🙂 I am glad to hear that you will be back!
You never kn w when inspiration will strike! Feel free to check out some of my ‘moments’!
http://tonettejoycefoodfriendsfamily.wordpress.com/
I sure will! Thanks for the link!