Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Pumpkin pie is a quintessential fall dessert, but what if you could have that same great taste in the form of a cookie? With pumpkin pie cookies, you can! These cookies are a delicious treat that are perfect for fall gatherings or as an after-dinner dessert.

Getting Started Making Your Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Release your inner cookie decorator! I am NOT a fan of decorating cookies although I do love watching cookies get decorated on YouTube videos. But once a year when I make these, the cookies do seem really cathartic.

Let's enjoy the aromas of your kitchen and bring out that inner baker- it's time to make some tasty treats! With this easy recipe you can have delicious, homemade pumpkin pie cookies any time!

Ingredients

Before starting your pumpkin pie cookie adventure, be sure to have all the necessary ingredients on hand. For the cookies you will need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie spice)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• 2 ½-2 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour (you can do a mix of white whole wheat and all purpose flour (which I did) and it turns out just fine)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt

To make the frosting you will want to make sure you have:

• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp honey or corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is optimal for your pumpkin pie cookies to bake evenly and thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray it with oil or butter, then set aside. This will ensure that the cookies do not stick. If you don't have parchment paper, you can use non-stick cooking spray on the baking sheet instead.

Making the Cookies:

To make the pumpkin pie cookies:

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the spices, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and pumpkin. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. (Start the mixer on low than gradually move the speed up as the powdered sugar mixes with the butter, otherwise you will have a poof of powdered sugar all over your counter. Yes, I've done that).
4. Once butter and sugar are fluffy, turn mixer to low and gradually add in the egg and pumpkin mixture. Stop and scrape the bowl if necessary, then continue mixing until smooth. Slowly begin to add in the flour and spice mixture and continue stirring until most of the dough sticks to the paddle. Pinch a small piece of dough lightly between your fingers. If it sticks, add a little more flour to the mixture. You want the dough to have a little give, but not stick to your fingers.
5. Cut off two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Stick the dough between the two pieces and roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch thick. Use flour to dust the plastic wrap or parchment paper if needed in order to make sure the dough doesn't stick. Using a large cup, cut the dough, then use a knife to cut the dough into pie shaped slices.
6. Place the cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Time to Frost Your Cookies!

My favorite time! (once a year only!) It's time to frost and finish making your cookies.

1. In a mixing bowl, blend all ingredients until mixture becomes shiny. Divide the dough into thirds with a larger portion being devoted to the orange and brown, the medium portion to the yellow/tan color and the smallest portion to the white.
2. Using your dyes, tint the cookies to the desired color. To the orange and brown I added ¼ tsp of cinnamon to give the cookies that flecked pumpkin pie look. If using natural dyes it will be harder to achieve that deep brown color.
3. Using a piping bag, squirt bottle or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the outline of the orange and brown around the entire triangle of the cookie. Flood the interior portion of the cookie with more color and use a toothpick to remove any bubbles. Allow the "pumpkin pie" portion to set up before continuing. Using your yellow/tan color, make a wavy pattern on the straight edge of the cookie. With the white frosting, make a dollop in the center of the cookie to resemble whipped cream. Allow the cookies to fully set up for two hours or overnight before stacking

Pumpkin Lovers! I've got More Great Recipes for You!

I've got more delicious pumpkin recipes for you! If you love these cookies why not try some pumpkin caramel cookies, the prettiest pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, or some pumpkin toffee cookies?

Note: The original frosting recipe calls for corn syrup. I left it in the recipe for those who do use corn syrup. I use honey as a replacement and it works just fine.