Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Officially, Fall began on September 22nd. But not here in Houston. It's still hot, humid and very un-Fall-like. Farther north, everyone has traded their shorts and t-shirts for jeans and sweaters, but down here, our summer wardrobes stay in use until Fall decides to grace us with its cool, crisp, refreshing presence. I've lived in Houston now for eleven years, but I still have the hardest time with the fact that the Gulf Coast lacks four distinct seasons. We have a fleeting Spring that will sometimes start as early as February, an endless, oppressively hot Summer, and a few final months of the year that are a Fall-Winter mish-mash. It's not something this East Coast gal will ever get used to. Right now, the closest I can get to Fall is looking at a wallpaper picture of beautiful flame-colored leaves on my Mac. Sad, I know.
Nevertheless, every year, when October rolls around and my local grocery store starts stocking all of Fall's hearty produce, heady spices and seasonal pantry staples, I start scouring my cookbooks, food magazines and cooking websites for new recipes to try. Unseasonal weather be damned, I say! The uncooperative Gulf Coast weather isn't going to stop me from making rich soups, roasted root vegetables and hearty stews.
I've already kicked off my Fall cooking spree by making my first-ever batch of apple butter, and I've started to gather more recipes for my Fall line-up. Next in the rotation are these cookies. They are more like palm-size cakes, tender and moist from the pumpkin, and warmed through with the perfect blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. A thin drizzle of cream cheese icing adds just a little decadence without making them overly sweet.
I'm planning on making a second batch again this week, even though the weather is supposed to be in the eighties. But I don't care. The Texas weather may not be in sync with the calendar, but in my house, Fall arrived right on time.
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven!For the cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg, at room temperature
For the Icing
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Add pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla and mix until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix well to incorporate, being careful not to over-mix and scraping down the sides of the work bowl as necessary.
Chill the cookie dough for 2-3 hours or overnight. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much when baking. Because the pumpkin gives the batter so much moisture, you will be able to easily scoop it straight out of the refrigerator.
Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and flatten slightly with your fingertips. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden around the edges. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended. Frost the cookies using a small butter knife or offset spatula, or drizzle the cookies using a pastry bag and tip.
Note: If you don't own a pastry bag and tips, just fill a plastic resealable sandwich bag with the frosting, seal the bag, squeeze out the air, and cut a small corner off of the bag. Pipe icing onto cookies.
Storage
Because these cookies have a lot of moisture from the pumpkin puree, do not store them in an airtight container, or they will turn soggy. Instead, store them on a platter in a single layer covered lightly with foil.
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