Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 2 g pumpkin pie spice
- 1 g fine sea salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 5 g ground cinnamon
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 18 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 4 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 2 mg
- Calcium
- 1 mg
- Iron
- 0.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 0 mg
- Phosphorus
- 2 mg
- Zinc
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 0 mcg
- Water
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and 50g of granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the butter mixture. Mix until a cohesive dough forms. If it seems crumbly, use your hands to gently knead it together.
Transfer the dough directly onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an even rectangle, approximately 5mm thick.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 50g of granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture heavily and evenly over the surface of the rolled dough. Press down gently with your hands or lightly pass the rolling pin over it to help the sugar adhere.
Using a pizza cutter, score the dough into a grid of tiny 1.5cm by 1.5cm squares. Cut almost all the way through the dough.
Slide the parchment paper with the scored dough onto your baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are beautifully golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Immediately run your pizza cutter back through the scored lines while the dough is still hot and pliable to ensure clean breaks.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. As they cool, they will snap apart into perfectly crispy, miniature crouton-like bites.
Chef's Notes
- Rolling the dough directly on parchment paper is a crucial technique here; it prevents you from having to transfer delicate, tiny raw dough squares onto a baking sheet one by one.
- For a more complex flavor reminiscent of artisan bakeries, swap half of the granulated sugar in the coating for light brown sugar. The molasses notes pair perfectly with the pumpkin spice.
- These mini cookies make a fantastic textural garnish. Try sprinkling them over vanilla bean ice cream or a warm bowl of oatmeal.
- If you want the absolute crispiest texture, you can turn off the oven after the baking time, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the cookies cool inside the oven for 20 minutes.
Storage
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Troubleshooting
Cookies fused together during baking and lost their square shape
Cause: Dough spread too much because it was too warm, or scoring was too shallow
Fix: Re-cut the grid immediately upon removing from the oven while the dough is still very hot and soft.
Prevention: Chill the rolled and scored dough for 10 minutes in the refrigerator before baking. Ensure the pizza cutter slices almost entirely through the dough.
Dough is too crumbly to roll out
Cause: Flour was heavily packed during measuring or butter was too cold
Fix: Knead the dough firmly with warm hands for an extra minute to melt the butter slightly and bind the flour.
Prevention: Weigh flour carefully in grams and ensure butter is fully softened.
Cultural Context
The concept of miniaturizing baked goods into cereal-sized bites is a highly popular modern food trend, tapping into the nostalgia of classic American breakfast cereals. By taking the universally beloved flavor profile of cinnamon toast and applying it to a buttery shortbread crouton, this recipe bridges the gap between a morning comfort food and a whimsical, snackable dessert.
