Pumpkin Cookies

We love pumpkins, be it soup, bread, cookies, waffles, muffins, gnocchi, anything pumpkin, I find appealing. This recipe has been a family favorite for some time, typically we end up doubling it (as seen in the pictures). But be warned, the icing recipe makes a lot, so if you decide to double the cookie recipe, you're fine NOT doubling the icing part.








What you'll need:
Cookies

• 2 cups shortening
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 can 16 oz can pumpkin
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice

Icing

• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 16 oz powdered sugar

Start off by sitting out your cream cheese so it came come to room temperature.

Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice).

Next, cream your shorting and sugar.

Now add your eggs and vanilla, combine, then add the pumpkin.

Once your pumpkin mixture is mixed well, pour it into the flour mixture and combine. I have had problems in the past with these cookies because they haven't been mixed well, it's a lot of flour so take the time, and work on your arm muscles by stirring, checking for flour pockets, and then stirring some more when you find them.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take a cookie sheet, cover it with parchment paper and scoop out dough with a small cookie scoop about 1.5 inches apart.

Beware, you mind find one of these staring you at you, wanting to try a cookie. . .

 

Or, one of these!

 

 Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. If your cookies start to brown, they are over done.





Let them cool a bit, then add the icing. They don't have to be completely cool, but if they're too hot, it won't stay on it. I prefer a very light amount of icing, in fact I like them plain.

We had a fair amount of people stopping by to eat the cookies as they were being made, so I didn't get a final count, but I'm estimating the final count was close to 150 cookies for the doubled version. There are a lot of cookies, but they are additive, so they don't last nearly as long as they should. They do freeze well, so you can make a batch and pull some out a little at a time.

 

Enjoy!