It pains me to say it, but this is the last recipe for the fall of 2023. It blows my mind that it will already be December in a few days. I feel like fall just flew by and to be honest, I am not ok with that. Fall doesn’t need to be rushed away by Christmas, it can just be enjoyed.
But on another note, the Christmas season is always a fun one in both the baking and the dancing world. I feel like everyone is always super inspired to bake in December, which fills me with so much joy because that’s my goal. To get more people to bake. So I will have some festive recipes coming for all different taste buds and skill levels.
In the realm of dancing, December is pretty crazy to. I mean, NUTCRACKER. There’s so much learning, rehearsing, costumes, all that stuff. And I love it all. From learning the steps, to getting the pretty costumes, to the thrill of performing on a stage. It’s so magical. I got to see the professionals perform it a few days ago with my mom, and it’s just so beautiful. It’s getting me excited for my schools version!
ANYWAY. This post is NOT about Christmas, or December, or any of that nonsense. This is about fall, and pears, and spices, because it is still November. So lets talk about these cookies.
First of all aren’t the gorgeous?!? I mean that pretty pear slice in the center is just so aesthetically pleasing. And you know they taste good. This recipe is my favorite fall thing I made this year, so I decided to save it for last.
But wait, there’s more! Tomorrow, Ballerina Baker will be celebrating two years of being a published blog! I cannot believe it’s already been so long. I know two years doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but it’s been a long and complicated journey to say the least. I feel like I’ve really progressed though. I think my recipes have gotten a little better, and so have my writing skills and photography techniques. Plus, I started my TikTok channel over the summer, which was a huge development for me. I can’t wait to see what the coming years have in store!
Describe These Cookies to me
Taste: Like a fall dream. The cookie is soft and sweet, with notes of cinnamon and ginger. Molasses gives it that cozy fall taste, and melt in your mouth flavor. Plus, these are rolled in sugar and topped with thinly sliced asian pears for the perfect fall cookie.
Texture: Ok here’s the fun part. The edges of these cookies are crisp from rolling them in sugar, but the insides are guaranteed to be gooey and soft from the pear. The juice seeps into the cookie giving you a delicate and soft center.
Ease: I would say these are of medium difficulty. They’re cookies so they aren’t going to be that hard. The dough is pretty straightforward, but make sure to leave time for it to chill and harden up. Then we prepare the pears which I will go a little more into later into the post, and assemble. Roll the dough into balls, coat those in sugar, press ’em down real flat, and top with a pear slice. Then all there’s left to do is bake and enjoy!
The Dough
This is a pretty average spiced cookie dough. You’ve got your butter, brown sugar for flavor, and white sugar for texture. Plus some molasses for a little bit of texture and flavor, and some eggs and vanilla. Next up, flour, baking soda, spices, and some salt. There’s a lot of ginger and cinnamon here. Mix that stuff up and tada: dough. Stick that in the fridge for about an hour to firm up before shaping them.
The Pear Preparation
Ok there are a few things to discuss here. First of all, make sure you are using asian pears. These are the round ones, and they’re usually brown. I like the caramel-like flavor they have. Next, DON’T TAKE THE CORE OUT. I know this sounds odd, but you see that star shape in the center of these cookies? That prettiness comes from keeping the core in. Do try and pick out the seeds though, those are gross. Next, use a mandoline. I know these are really scary to use, I myself had a bad injury from one of them. But if you’re really careful and use the right equipment it should be just fine! This way you get nice thin pear slices. Lastly, pat the pears dry with a paper towel. This ensures that the insides of the cookies aren’t overly gooey from too much pear juice seeping in.
How to Shape These
Once you have your dough chilled and your pears all ready to go, you can shape these bad boys. Start by making some cookie dough balls. These should be relatively big to fit the pears. Roll that in sugar and place it on a baking sheet with a bunch of room. Press the dough ball down to form a disk, roughy the same size as the pear. It will be pretty thin. Place a pear on top and repeat with the rest of the dough. Make sure to leave plenty of room on the baking sheets, you can probably only bake four or five on one baking sheet.
What Does Sparkle Cookie Mean?
Often when you see this term, it means that the cookies have been rolled in those colored sugar crystals, This is pretty popular around the holidays. For our purposes, it’s just regular sugar not colored sugar, but it’s pretty much the same thing. This gives us a nice crunchy outside, with a soft and gooey inside.
Oh, before I forget! How was everyones Thanksgiving? Mine was a little chaotic, but that’s always true. I love cooking, but a whole day of it nonstop can be pretty tiring. I made cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie!
Ginger Pear Sparkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars on medium speed until fluffy and combined. Add the molasses and beat to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again if needed. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
- Make sure you cut the pears right before you intend to use them. If they sit out for too long they will oxidize.
- Rinse the pears thoroughly. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the whole pears into circular disks. DO NOT REMOVE THE CORES. Using your fingers or a toothpick if needed, pick out the seeds. Place the sliced pears on a paper towel and blot them with another towel to remove some of the liquid.
- Pour ½ cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. We will roll the cookies in this.
- Watch the video above if you need a visual for how to shape these.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons each (they should be on the bigger side). Roll those in the sugar and place on a baking sheet, at least 4 inches apart. Using your hands, press down the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. Press until there is a flat surface area the same size as the pear slices. Place the sliced pear on top of the flattened cookie and press to adhere .
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until edges are set and slightly browned. The centers will still be a little soft, that's ok! Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheets before eating. I highly recommend eating these warm!
- Cookies stay fresh up to 3 days at room temperature sealed in an airtight container.
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