Sunday, December 28, 2008

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

My favorite baked goods, if not doused in chocolate, are fruit or vegetable based - apple pie, banana bread and carrot cake to name just a few. Now I can add pumpkin cookies to the list - I made the following cookies for my office holiday party using a recipe I found here, and altered it a little by using this recipe for the frosting. My favorite part about it is the unusual texture - when done right, it's very moist and chewy, resembling the taste of a muffin top - the cream cheese frosting adds a rich sweetness that complements the spices in the cookie very well:

Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Adapted from AllRecipes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Cream Cheese Recipe Adapted from AllRecipes
Whip the following in a bowl:
1 (8 ounce) packages cream
cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Once whipped, add to the cookies that have been allowed to cool. Because the cookies are so moist, add the frosting right before you are about to serve and/or devour on the spot. The frosting can be covered and kept in the fridge. Enjoy~

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