Autumn cookies

As the summer drifts away and the autumn (fall) leaves tumble from the trees here in the UK, I've been playing with some leaf cookie cutters to create these Autumn cookies, flavoured three ways.

The dough is sweet and crisp, and hold its shape well, meaning the finished effect is very pretty and well-defined.

They're spiced with cinnamon and orange zest, mixed spice or ginger, meaning every cookie is a taste of autumn.

But the best bit? These biscuits are also super easy to make in a single bowl.

You'll heat golden syrup, sugar and butter and then combine it with flour before dividing into three, colouring, flavouring with spices, rolling, cutting and baking.

It's honestly as simply as can be to get a gorgeous pile of edible autumn leaves!

Here's what to do to make these gorgeous autumn cookies.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F)

Put the butter, golden syrup, salt and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl.

Heat for 60 seconds on full power. Stir well (careful, it can be very, very hot). Heat in one or two more 30 second blasts until most of the sugar is dissolved. It's ok if it's still a little grainy.

Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda.

Fold through. Allow to cool until safe to handle.

Divide the dough into three equal balls.

Make a thumbprint in each, then add the ginger to one, the mixed spice to another, and the cinnamon and orange zest to the third.

Add the colours too, one per ball. I went for red with mixed spice, green with ginger and brown with cinnamon, but you can go with any combination you like.

Knead each ball in your hands until you have an even distribution of colour and spice. Cover the dough with food wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

Roll each ball of dough out thinly - about 3mm.

Use your cutters to cut out as many shapes as you can. You will need to gather and re-roll the dough once or twice to use it all up.

If you like, you can combine the last few bits of dough together and then roll them out create multicoloured sheet of dough to use for your last few leaves.

Place your leaves on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Bake the cookies for approx 10 minutes each until just browning at the edges. I baked mine over a few batches.

Cool your cookies on the tray for a few minutes until they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Pretty, fun, and a great way to celebrate the beauty of Autumn, don't you think?

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect autumn cookies

Are autumn cookies easy to make?

These beautiful autumn cookies are quick and easy to make, a real celebration of nature and the changing seasons.

You can make the cookie dough in one bowl and divide it into 3 at the end to finally add the different colours and spices. The dough is pretty stable so good for the delicate leaf shapes. I particularly love the mix leaves you can make at the end patching together the off cuts, they really look like leaves turning from green to red and golden orange. 

Will I need any special equipment for these autumn cookies?

You should be able to find everything you need in the average kitchen to make the cookie dough, weighing scales and measuring spoons, a mixing bowl and spoon, and a baking sheet to cook them on.

I’ve used various leaf-shaped cookie cutters like these. Or you can make yourself a template to cut around but this is a little more fiddly. The full list of equipment can be found in the recipe card below.  

Where can I buy mix spice?

Mix spice is a combination of spices ground together that is particularly popular in British bakes in the autumn and winter. It is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, ginger, allspice, and coriander which create a lovely warming and festive mix, perfect for these cookies. 

In the UK you should be able to easily find this with the other herbs and spices, sometimes it's called ground spice mix.

If not, you can make you own, vary the amounts to suit your taste, and what's available but this gives a good balance - add a tablespoon of each cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, then mix with a teaspoon of each mace, cloves, ginger, and coriander, use a spice grinder to combine and store in a sealed jar.

How can I tell if butter has gone off?

Firstly check the use-by date on the packet, close to, or past this date then the butter might have gone off.

When butter is exposed to heat and light it starts to oxidize and will go rancid. It will smell and taste unpleasant so you should be able to tell fairly easily. 

To keep your butter fresher for longer keep it well wrapped in the paper or foil it comes in, in a sealed container, and in the fridge. The second step of also using a container will stop the butter from absorbing other flavours from the fridge which it has a tendency to do. 

Butter can also be frozen, if you want to freeze some of your butter do so as soon after purchase as you can, to ensure it's being frozen at its best. 

Are autumn cookies suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

These autumn cookies are made using dairy butter so are suitable for vegetarians, but would not be suitable for vegans.

That said, you can easily switch dairy butter for a plant-based alternative.

It is also important to check the ingredients of any food colours you wish to use as some colours contain animal-derived products so would not be suitable for vegetarians or vegans. 

Are autumn cookies gluten-free?

In this recipe, I’m using wheat-based plain flour, which means these cookies wouldn’t be gluten-free. 

I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten-free flour yet but you could give it a go if you want to make them gluten-free.

I always recommend using a good quality brand, which will usually be made from a blend of different flours such as rice flour, and oat flour, raising agents, of course, and usually a binding agent such as xanthan gum.

Are autumn cookies egg-free?

Yes! These delightful autumn cookies are naturally egg free and are a real treat for someone who needs to avoid egg in their diet. 

Are autumn cookies healthy?

Each cookie contains about 60 calories, this will depend on the size of your cookie cutters! These cookies are quite high in sugar so should be enjoyed in moderation as a treat. 

Are autumn cookies safe to eat while pregnant?

There isn’t anything in this recipe that should pose a risk if eaten by pregnant people. It's always a good idea to ask if anyone has any other food allergies or intolerances that may not be related to pregnancy to make sure. 

When doing any cooking or baking good food hygiene should be followed, this is particularly important to more at-risk groups like pregnant people, small children, and elderly people as they can be more susceptible to infections. The Food Standards Agency in the UK has some easy to follow guidelines and tips to brush up on your food safety knowledge. 

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice, please seek help from a health care professional if you have any questions or concerns. 

What goes well with autumn cookies?

These delightfully spiced cookies are the perfect companion to a good cuppa, or coffee if you prefer. And for the kids, a glass of milk or water. 

Can I make this recipe without butter?

The butter in this recipe is working with the sugar and golden syrup to hold everything together and give you a lovely rich biscuit with a good snap.

You will need some sort of fat to make these cookies, but it doesn’t have to be butter, you could use margarine or a plant-based alternative to butter will work ok too. 

I haven’t got golden syrup, can I use honey?

If you haven’t got golden syrup, runny honey would be a good alternative.

I haven’t tried this recipe with honey so let me know how you get on and remember honey has quite a distinct flavour which will come through in the cookies but should work well with the different spices. 

Can I add more spices to these autumn cookies?

As we’re dividing the dough into 3 different colours and flavours each will only need a small amount of spice to make these cookies taste delicious.

You can add a little more if you like them punchy but I wouldn’t recommend adding any more than a teaspoon per ball of dough as it will be overpowering and could end up tasting quite unpleasant. 

How should I store autumn cookies?

Once cooled it's best to store these autumn cookies in an airtight container, in the cupboard or pantry would work well, you want them somewhere cool and dark to keep them fresher for longer.

Find a container that they fit into without too much airspace around them as this will help them stay crisp and not go stale too quickly. 

How long do autumn cookies keep?

These autumn cookies will keep for about a week when stored in an airtight container. 

Can I leave autumn cookies out on the counter?

It's ok to leave autumn cookies out on the counter for a few hours, but don’t store them this way as they will go stale very quickly. 

Can I make autumn cookies ahead?

There are a few options if you want to make these cookies ahead, the dough freezes well, as do the finished cookies. 

I would suggest freezing before you’ve divided the dough to add the different colours and flavours, so it's all together and takes up less space in the freezer.

Form the dough into a ball or log and wrap tightly in a food bag or with clingfilm. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, when you want to make your cookies defrost the dough in the fridge overnight then you’re ready to divide and add the colours and spices. 

The cookies themselves freeze well too, and will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

And as these cookies last for about a week you could make them a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready for them. 

Can I keep autumn cookies in the refrigerator?

Keeping these autumn cookies in the fridge is not necessary, you can simply put them in a container in the cupboard, in fact, they may go stale quicker when kept in the fridge. 

Can I freeze autumn cookies?

Yes, both the dough and baked cookies freeze well. If you are freezing the dough make sure to wrap it tightly and label it so you know what kind of dough it is.

I find it best to freeze the dough before you’ve added any spices or colouring. This way you can decide when you come to bake them what flavours and colours you want to make. This cookie dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months

When freezing the cookies themselves simply pop them into a freezer-safe bag or container, squeeze out as much air as you can to reduce the potential for freezer burn. And label with the date and what’s inside.

These cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, you can defrost a big batch in the fridge overnight, or just take out one or two and thaw them out on a plate on the counter for a few hours. 

Can I make autumn cookies in a different quantity?

Want to make a whole tree's worth of leaves? No problem! It’s super simple to amend this recipe if you want to make more or fewer cookies.

All you need to do is head down to the recipe card below where you’ll see the yield for this recipe, which is set to 36 cookies. This number will vary slightly depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

To change the quantity simply click or hover over the number of servings and a little slider will pop up that you can move up and down to adjust the number. Once you’ve reached the number you want all the ingredients will update automatically to the correct quantities so you’re ready to bake. 

Can I decorate autumn cookies with icing?

I think the food colouring in the cookies is a simple but very effective decoration in itself.

However, if you would like to add more detail to your leaves you could always use icing pens to draw on the stalks and veins on the leaves which could look pretty too. 

Can I make autumn cookies in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

This dough is a simple blend of melted butter, sugar, and golden syrup folded with flour and bicarbonate of soda which you can do just in a bowl.

If you do want to use a stand mixer, do so on the lowest setting, firstly to stop a flour storm but more importantly to not overwork the dough. 

Can I add chocolate chips to autumn cookies?

This autumn cookie recipe is blended without adding any extra bits like chocolate chips so adding them in might affect how well the cookies turn out, they would also distract from the look of these leafy cookies. 

If you would like to add a few chocolate chips or pieces of dried fruit I would suggest adding them as topping when the cookies have first come out of the over and are still soft, you can easily press a few pieces into the tops of each cookie. 

How can I make sure these autumn cookies are perfectly cooked?

You’ll know when the cookies are done when they start to go slightly golden brown around the edge. 

Bake your cookies in batches if they won’t all fit in the oven at the same time. It’s a good idea to try and put the trays as close to the middle of the oven as possible as this is usually where the heat is most constant. 

Why did my autumn cookies turn out dry and burned?

These cookies only need about 10 minutes in the oven so make sure to set a timer when they go in so you don’t forget about them. 

Check the oven is set to the correct temperature, if it's too hot the cookies will burn before they’ve had a chance to bake properly.

If you find bakes are often burning in your oven try setting it 10-20C lower than the recipe recommends next time. Some temperature dials are not an accurate representation of the actual temperature of the oven so yours may just run a bit hot. 

Why didn’t my cookies stay brightly coloured after baking?

Once baked the cookies will look slightly darker than the raw dough, this is partly just the nature of baking, as the cookies would usually turn a golden brown without any food colourings added. 

When using food colourings I recommend using the gel or paste colourings as they are more stable than the liquid food colourings you get in little bottles. 

Liquid food colouring doesn’t stand up well when exposed to heat so is great for colouring icings and frosting but when used in baking it has a tendency to fade a little. 

Where can I get brown food colouring?

You can get a rainbow of different food colourings online, if you can’t find brown, or don’t want to buy some just for this bake you could try mixing a drop of red and green food colouring together to make brown. 

How can I add/change the flavours in these autumn cookies?

You can play around with the spices in these cookies if you like, how about trying cardamom and lemon zest or vanilla instead?

Print these autumn cookies

Here's the recipe for these leaf shaped Autumn cookies again in an easy to print format.

Pin these autumn biscuits

More cookie recipes to try