Danger. Do not read on if you are on a diet. These puppies are addicting! 
Thanks to my good friend Jen for passing along this fantastic ~ “go to” recipe.
One of my favorite things in the world is cooking/baking/entertaining. I know for a lot of people, “hosting” is a stressful process. For me it’s invigorating! I love it. It’s a break from life… sometimes from the reality of stress & pressure that plague my days Ah the joys of graduate school! These pumpkin cookies are some of my favorites!! The cinnamon cream cheese frosting is just to die for…. hope you enjoy!
Original recipe can be found here.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (used ¼ cloves, ¼ nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 package cream cheese
½ package of powdered sugar (1.5 lbs?)
Preparation
Heat oven to 375° F. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg and beat until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture 2 inches apart onto parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets. Bake until puffed and cooked through, about 10 minutes (first batch on an aluminum pan = 11-12 min, dark pan 10 min~ subsequent batches, a little less time). Let cool for 5 minutes.
Frosting
Clean the mixer, then, as the cookies bake, beat the cream cheese, & sugar. I add in 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp milk, and almost 1 tbsp cinnamon. Spread the flat sides of half the cooled cookies with the cream mixture. This frosting can be used for 3xs the amount in this recipe… or use it frost a spice cake! YUM!
NOTES:
- Frosting batch is HUGE. Way too large for the number of cookies. Especially if you don’t double or triple the recipe.
- 1 can of pumpkin = approx 3 batches. I doubled the batch the first time, then put the remaining pumpkin in fridge and make the rest a week later.
- Calories with cream cheese frosting: 100 cal per cookie (not sandwiches) & 4 g of fat
- These have a very “cake like” texture to them. I personally prefer them either on day one, OR chilled day 2. They don’t last must past day 2 or 3 at the very most… If serving to guests, be sure to bake, cool & frost on the same day as serving.
