Celebrating Autumn With Pumpkin Cookies…

by Jamie on September 23, 2009 · 23 comments

Okay, I know I have been in fall mode for about two weeks, but yesterday was the official first day of autumn. I thought I would celebrate by baking pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing! If you follow my blog, you may recognize these bad boys from last year…yep, same cookies…different icing! As I said on Monday, I am dedicating this week to recipes that deserve recognition for being so good I found it necessary to make them over and over again! These cookies are a perfect example…they are soft, cake like while being a little chewy and oh so perfect for fall. Last year I made them with caramel icing and again with maple icing. This year I switched them up yet again and loaded them with cream cheese icing…what could be better? I hope you had a great first day of autumn…now get in your kitchen and make these cookies! Thanks for stopping by…come back later this week for another recipe worthy of repeating! Hint…there is chocolate involved!

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
Adapted from allrecipes
Yield: 24 Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin (solid; not pie mix)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Cream shortening, butter, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well.
2. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
3. Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract will also work)
2 tablespoons milk

Method
Mix the cream cheese with the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl. Heat in a microwave for 15 seconds. Drizzle spoonfuls over the cooled cookies and smooth with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Notes…
I wanted big cookies, so I measured each cookie out to 1/4 cup, I shaped the cookies into circular blobs and smoothed the tops with dampened finger tips.
- When the cookies were just slightly warm, I spooned on the cream cheese icing, smoothed the surface and tossed on some fall inspired sprinkles.
-This icing recipe does not harden!

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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Sara September 23, 2009 at 9:16 pm

Oh my, these sound so yummy and look beautiful. I cannot wait to make these cookie. Yay, for pumpkin and fall recipes.

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2 Bethie September 24, 2009 at 4:37 am

Oh, yum! My 11 year old daughter is my little pumpkin queen. I might just have to make these for her.

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3 thereddeer September 24, 2009 at 4:42 am

They sound delish!

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4 sherri September 24, 2009 at 6:46 am

Of course the addition of cream cheese to make my growing waistline even thicker!

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5 Jamie September 24, 2009 at 6:51 am

I love the theme here – my son keeps complaining whenever I bake something new "Why make anything new when X, X and X are perfect and we all love them?" There are some great recipes that deserve to be highlighted over and over again. Great-looking cookies!

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6 oneordinaryday September 24, 2009 at 8:05 am

Pumpkin cookies are on my list of things I want to bake asap. These look so good!

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7 Robin September 24, 2009 at 9:46 am

Oh these look amazing. I've been trying to find canned pumpkin all over Atlanta and EVERYONE is out!!!
I'm told it may be November before we get any. (Libby had a bad pumpkin crop last year apparently!)
The minute I find some I'm making these…
Hugs~Robin
All Things Heart and Home

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8 Ingrid September 24, 2009 at 9:55 am

I wish, oh, how I wish we had some hint of Autumn but alas it won't happen.

I don't remember these but am printing out the recipe. They look perfect for sending into school.
~ingrid

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9 Debbie September 24, 2009 at 9:59 am

They are perfect for this time of year. Love the frosting and sprinkles!

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10 Fahrenheit 350° September 24, 2009 at 11:10 am

I just love, love, love fall! These might be just the thing to heal my cold!

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11 Megan September 24, 2009 at 11:17 am

Ooh I think I made similar cookies last year using a Martha Stewart recipe. You've just reminded me of them! Love the way you decorated yours.

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12 Jelli Bean September 24, 2009 at 11:56 am

I would love some of these cookies, autumn or not!

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13 Palidor September 24, 2009 at 12:25 pm

Great way to celebrate fall! I love how cakey they look. Delicious!

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14 Katie @ goodLife {eats} September 24, 2009 at 4:04 pm

Oh yum, I'm going to have to make these when I get back from BlogHer Food. Have you ever had pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips in them? Those are the best!

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15 Leslie September 24, 2009 at 6:25 pm

I bet the frosting just puts these bad boys over the edge!!!!!DELISH

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16 Erin September 24, 2009 at 7:48 pm

OMGosh, those look so good! I'll definitely be making these…

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17 marthaandme September 25, 2009 at 7:31 am

These look so delicious. I have a pumpkin cookie recipe that uses maple frosting and those are wonderful too.

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18 Amanda September 26, 2009 at 10:37 am

Since I left Maine this summer, I've been missing the perfect (giant) pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made by the local store. If this recipe is worth repeating over and over, it just might be the one to bring Maine memories to Georgia realities!

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19 MaryBeth September 27, 2009 at 12:56 pm

I just made these Jamie and LOVED them! Thanks for the recipe!!

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20 Brenda September 27, 2009 at 7:48 pm

I can't wait to make these cookies. What is your opinion on the best frosting for them, the caramel, or the cream cheese frosting?

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21 Erin October 1, 2009 at 11:31 am

Made another one of your fabulous recipes, Jamie. Thanks so much! Of course, when I blogged about it I gave all the credit to you…thanks for sharing.

http://nagle5.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-pumpkins-pumpkins-terrific-baked.html

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22 aLiCia* November 22, 2009 at 8:36 pm

just made these! thank you! they are fab! I posted the recipe on my blog linking back to yours fyi.

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23 maddawesome13 November 26, 2009 at 9:22 am

i made these yesterday for thanksgiving. a few notes. i am horrible baker and never attempt anything. the icing came out perfect however. and make sure you cook them long enough. if you dont they wont harden up and fall right apart, even while letting them sit for a long time. when i mastered them they were great and i couldnt get my family to stop eating them as i iced them, even the ones that were falling apart.

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