Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Circle B Kitchen

These are like sweet little bites of fall. We love them as is, but feel free to customize them to your own tastes. If you'd like to add more pumpkin, just increase the flour by a tablespoon or so. I loved the raisins in them, but the chocolate chips also got rave reviews, or leave em both out. Or sub out the milk and vanilla for some maple syrup in the frosting - that would be ever so delicious too. You will notice that in the baking directions below, I noted the use of only 1 baking sheet and cooking these in batches. I'm a firm believer in only putting one baking sheet in the oven at a time so that the cookies bake evenly. If you prefer to use more than one baking sheet at a time, be sure to rotate them (switch baking racks) halfway through baking.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (or more) raisins or chocolate chips

Frosting:

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

miniature chocolate chips for sprinkling, if adding chocolate chips to the dough

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then add in the egg, vanilla and maple syrup. Add the pumpkin and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Mix well and then stir in either the raisins or chocolate chips, if using.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet (you will need to do this in batches) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting: In a small bowl, beat the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy. Frost each cookie, and if you added chocolate chips to your dough, you can decorate each cookie with a sprinkling of miniature chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.