The caramel frosting is wonderful on these cookies. Use orange and black sprinkles to decorate, or try pumpkin candies or gummy bugs. Or you can use colored decorator frosting available in stores and draw pumpkin faces on the cookies after the frosting is set.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Cooling time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 32 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin puree or pie filling)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2-1/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. apple juice
- 2 Tbsp. light cream
- 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup minced walnuts
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat well to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt until blended. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees 10-14 minutes until set. Cool on wire racks.
For frosting, combine 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir one minute until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly. Add apple juice and light cream and stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Frost cookies and sprinkle with nuts. Store in loosely covered container.
