Pumpkin Cookies

Squash and pumpkin harvest season meant baking in my childhood.   Delicious and moist, these cookies are still favorites of mine and appear around Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I prefer to keep the icing light and not blow out my taste buds with excess sugar.

Pumpkin makes lovely, rich and moist cake-like cookies. This is an adaptable recipe. Sometimes I make them with chocolate chips and leave out orange zest and maple glaze. Other times I leave out the chocolate chips and make them the my mother used too - with the orange zest and glaze. It's up to you.

Servings: 24 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 -14 mins

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 1 cup organic sugar

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature

• 2 1/2 cups wheat or spelt flour

• 1 Tbsp orange zest (optional)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground clove

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 cup organic chocolate chips (optional) I used the minis

For maple glaze (optional)

• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

• 1-3 Tbsp milk

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Get the Playing With Pumpkins Ebook!

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375° Cream together butter, sugar, pumpkin, egg and orange zest (if you are using it). In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips (if desired) to wet ingredients and combine thoroughly . Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown 10-14 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool.

2. Combine confectioners' sugar and maple syrup. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Primary season: Autumn and Winter