Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Post Update!      9-6-15

With fall nipping at our heels, one thing that is helping the transition is looking forward to these succulent cookies.  As you can see, I was so excited about them last time that I couldn’t wait 8 months until they were relevant, so I posted them in February :D.

Of course, they are much more relevant now, and the only thing holding me back from cracking open my cans of pureed pumpkin is a thin strand of self control and the desire to be healthy as long as possible.  Now that my sister took my Frosted Brownies out of the freezer,  that self control is going to be gone as soon as my sore throat goes away.

So, enjoy these to the fullest and have fun this fall!

Hello!

So . . . this might be really bad, but when I go on Pinterest for food recipes, the ones that really stand out the most are the desserts.  Those superb photographs of succulent, moist cake and super soft cookies are enough to make anyone salivate.  I personally love to bake and was known as the sugar queen in my family when I was younger, so that might be why sweets are such a weak spot :).

You know how in late September, early October when suddenly everything is pumpkin?  I heard it somewhere that no one drinks a pumpkin spice latte any other time of the year, but something in October makes it irresistibly amazing.  Is it the brilliant burst of colors, the chilly tang of the air? – or perhaps it’s just the prospect of sipping hot cider by a bonfire with your best buddies.

I know that all this sounds irrelevant since it’s the middle of winter and the last thing anyone wants is the chilly tang of the air, however – this fall I discovered the most fabulously wonderful pumpkin cookie recipe ever.

Don’t be deceived by the pumpkin ingredient, because this dessert is one that will end up on the most-asked-for-cookies list all year long.

These delectably sweet and spiced rounds of deliciousness are THE most beautiful cookie creation I have yet stumbled across.  They are soft and pumpkin-y with a frosting to die for, and you simply cannot trust them to last for any length of time once they are out of the oven.  Since the amount of one batch in this recipe is equivalent to two batches in any normal cookie recipe, you may want to put them in the freezer because a) They get kind of on the too soft side after being in room temp. for more than two days and b) It may slow their consumption a teensy bit.  No guarantees on that last point, though, speaking from experience with desserts in the freezer 😉

A quick side note on the choice of topping: the frosting is an immensely better complement to the cookie, but if you only like white chocolate chips with your pumpkin cookies, go for it – but try the frosting first.

2 cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
4 cups all-purpose flour

White chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (add until desired consistency/firmness)
ground cinnamon sprinkled on top (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Stir in optional white chocolate chips.
• Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• For frosting, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cookies. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.  Enjoy!