Pumpkin Cookies

These were cake like pumpkin cookies.  I made them as directed, but I would use a different icing next time or just omit the icing all together.  (I would suggest a cream cheese frosting vs the sugary frosting)  They were a huge hit in our house.

Cookie Dough Ingredients

• 1 cup of fresh cooked pumpkin (How to make your own pumpkin puree)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising flour)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or hazlenuts (optional)

Icing Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar, unsifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup milk (just enough to make the mixture spreadable)
• chopped pecans or other nuts (optional)

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F  (190 C).
2. Lightly grease two cookies sheets (I used baking liners so that it would be an easy clean up)

Prepare the icing:

Carefully, lightly brown the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Be careful not to burn it. If you have trouble getting it to brown, down worry about it, it is mostly to add the color!
 
Remove the browned butter from heat.
 
Blend in the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla extract. It will start off think and lumpy, until you add the milk in the next step.
 
Mix in just enough milk to make the mixture smooth and spreadable.  It probably will only take a small amount, like 1/8 to 1/4 cup.
 
Set aside

Prepare the Cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together until light and smooth.

Mix in the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices (cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg).

Combine the two bowls (just pour the smaller bowl into the larger) and stir until blended.

Stir in the chopped nuts (optional).

Use a ordinary spoon (table, soup) or small ice cream scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the greased cookie sheet (you can also use the silicon cookie sheet cloths on a regular cookies sheet, the cookies will come off more easily).

Bake pumpkin cookies in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
 
Cool the cookies on racks and while they are still warm (but not hot)
Spread the butter icing on them!

They're great warm, or later when cool!

Recipe from here