This time of year is…awkward. Halloween is over, I’m ready for Christmas, but there’s still the problem of Thanksgiving in the way. I think this recipe will fit the inbetween season well.

This comes from Martha’s new book, Cookie Perfection.

PERFECTION?! That’s a strong word, Martha! Yeah…I pre-ordered it because LOOK AT IT.

Okay, here we go.

Step 1: Gather ingredients: Sugar, egg, flour, sanding sugar, melted butter, nutmeg, baking soda, cream of tartar, vanilla, salt, allspice, cinnamon, pumpkin puree. 

That’s a lot of ingredients.

Step 2: Whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg. 

What is cream of tartar anyway?

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and pumpkin. 

LOL I don’t have a mixer so that I can do manual whisking of wet ingredients.

Step 4: Add egg and vanilla. 

So back to that awkward time of year…I may have subscribed to Hallmark Movies Now and started watching cheesy Christmas movies.

This one stars Aaron Samuels Jonathan Bennett. He’s a vet student and is trying to save a dog park.

Step 5: Gradually add flour mixture and stir to combine, about 2 minutes.

See?! 2 minutes of whisking? No.

Step 6: Whisk together sanding sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. 

Bonus points for using a mini whisk! I need those points because I didn’t have proper sanding sugar, so I used regular.

You see, a developer is trying to turn the dog park into a day spa. The girl that the vet student is interested in just so happens to be THAT developer’s dog walker. That’s how she ended up at the park. He convinces her to help save the park.

Step 7: Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Roll in sugar mixture. 

Not pictured here is my hand covered in sticky dough. Apparently these don’t roll in your hands. So embarrassing, like that time that the girl in the movie bursted into song to try to distract the developer from finding out that she was actually also trying to save the dog park.

I dropped them from a cookie scoop directly into the sugar.

Step 8: Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Step 9: Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. 

This is the normal lens. Switch to the wide angle and…

OK Martha. It’s time to find out if your cookies were perfection.

Hmm…okay…

Aaah pretty good…

Okay, I’m happy. They’re very good. You did it, lady.

Yields: About 24
I got: 32

Start time: 8:32
End time: 9:28 (56 minutes)
Martha’s estimated time: N/A – this book also does not have times.

What did I learn? 

• It’s okay to be in holiday limbo. Embrace it.
• If you tell a heartfelt story, you can change someone’s mind.

What do I need to learn? 

• Is cream of tartar involved with tartar sauce? What are these things?
• Will Tar Tar Binks be the new hero of Episode IX?

Do you want to know the ending of the movie? Does the guy get the girl? Do they save the park? I think you know.