Kabocha Squash and Sesame Drop Cookies

Peel the kabocha squash and cut into 5 mm pieces.
Rinse lightly and put into a heatproof bowl.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 500 W for 4-5 minutes.
After the kabocha is soft, mash with a masher or a fork.
If you mash it roughly and leave it a little chunky, the cookies will be really tasty.
Start preheating the oven now!
Put the butter (brought to room temperature) in a bowl and add the sugar in 2 batches, stirring well to blend after each addition.
Add the beaten egg and mix quickly to prevent separation.
Add the cooled mashed kabocha squash.
Mix again.
Sift the cake flour 3 times.
Add the cake flour and the sesame seeds and fold into the dough with a rubber spatula.
Just before the dough is completely combined, mix in a few drops of vanilla oil.
The dough is ready.
The finished dough will look like this.
Using 2 spoons, drop the cookies onto a baking sheet.
If they're too big, they might not cook through, so make them about 25 mm in diameter.
Bake in an oven preheated to 340F/170C for 15-18 minutes.
When the cookies are golden brown, they're done!
The outside will be crispy and the inside will be soft.
Delicious!
These cookies taste best right out of the oven.
After they cool, you can warm them in the toaster oven to get that fresh-baked taste again.
If you prefer a crispier texture, smooth and flatten the cookies a little bit when you drop them on the baking sheet.