Yum

It’s definitely pumpkin time of year.  At work a couple of weeks ago someone was talking about these amazing pumpkin cookies – ‘I ate the whole batch… one after the other’ was their comment…. these must be good I thought.   So I figured I would give them a try.    They don’t have the consistency that makes me think of cookies but more like muffin tops which certainly lends itself well to the cream cheese filling or icing if you decide to cover them with it.

When you make them you have to know that the batter does’t change much – or melt down the way that cookies do so when you put them on the baking dish so you need to shape them the way you want them to look BEFORE you bake them.  I knew this ahead of time so I decided the use my piping bag to shape them.  I had initially thought I would make an indent in the top to create a dip in the cookie for the icing but once they were baked they puffed up a little and I lost the groove for this…. alas I decided to make these more like whoopie pies.

They really do taste more like muffins with cream cheese but this does not in any way deter one from eating them…. seriously good…. though I think next time I’ll pay more attention to the way they are shaped to leave myself a place to put the icing on top… they are a little filling!

Recipe (comes from all recipes)

Cookies (muffin tops)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree

Frosting

• 1 (3 oz) package cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, lightly grease baking sheets

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger in a bowl. Mix together in a seperate bowl 1 cup butter, white sugar, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla exact and egg with electric mixer beating until smooth.  Add and beat in pumpkin puree and gradually add in dry ingredients.

Spoon batter or pipe batter onto prepared baking sheets and bake in preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned – 10 – 15 minutes.  Let them cool for about 5 minutes before moving them to cool on waxed paper.

Beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer until soft and creamy, beat in confectioners sugar slowly ensuring frosting is smooth and spreadable then either top or use the frosting between cookies.

Enjoy!