By Tiffany Ludwig
You know those sweet little sugar pumpkins in the market, the ones with the sign that says they're for baking? Yep, those. They are what we use for this recipe. Of course, canned pumpkin works great, but I'm a fan of that cute, round, orange squash.
So cook one up or pop open a can and give this recipe a whirl. It will make your home smell wonderful with cinnamon and nutmeg. I sometimes tint the frosting with a little orange food coloring for a really festive feel. Enjoy!
Darling Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Yields 36 cookies
Cookie Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground if available)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting Ingredients
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1-3 Tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Cookie Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a large bowl, cream the softened butter with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugars. Then add baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger mix until thoroughly combined. Next add the eggs and vanilla, mix, add the pumpkin, mix. Stir in the flour, adding a little at a time until it's all combined.
Use a 2T ice cream scoop or a heaping round tablespoon to place round balls of dough onto a cookie sheet (the dough is sticky so an ice cream scoop with sweeping lever is handy). Bake 14-17 minutes until set and starting to warm in color.
Completely cool on a wire rack.
Frosting Preparation
Combine the softened butter and cream cheese using an electric mixer. Add vanilla and cinnamon, mix. Add the powdered sugar, a small amount at a time, alternating with a teaspoon of milk at a time, until all the powdered sugar is added and the frosting has the desired consistency.
