Pumpkin Week!

I have officially dedicated this week to be... pumpkin week!  The weather is just right to cuddle up with a warm blanket, some spiced (or spiked!) cider, and a pumpkin treat.  The temperature is just right, I wear a cardigan to class and I don't wind up freezing or roasting!

Anyway, to start the week off, I'm featuring a recipe found via Pinterest (my current obsession)- pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing.  

These cookies are soft and the icing has the perfect sweet and tangy balance to pair perfectly.  In a moment of ridiculousness, I decided to half the cookie recipe but make the full icing recipe.  This left me with enough icing to frost an entire wedding cake.  I do not recommend doing this.  Therefore, I will provide you with the halved recipe, which still makes a crazy amount of cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Combine:

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

Add:

1 egg

Mix in:

1/2 can pumpkin (15 ounces)

Now add:

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

And then add:

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Now, bake @ 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool & then ice using the following Cream Cheese icing.

Combine:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

Gradually mix in: 

1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator after use.

I topped mine with cinnamon and nutmeg.  It added a little excitement.  :)

Original recipe: Click here!