 |
Seriously.
I find myself happier in the Fall because we are all surrounded by life's little miracles. I know the leaves change colors because the trees are protecting themselves from the harsher days of winter, but as a leaf, could you imagine going out in a more beautiful way? A giant burst of color and then a graceful dance to your final resting place. Ah. Call me a romantic sap, but life just doesn't get any more majestic. Animals are fattening up. The air is crisp and toying with the notion of letting go of Summer, but hasn't fully committed to the icy blast of Winter. I love it all.
It seems to me that people are more productive around this time of year too. I guess it is a left over habit from our 17+ years in school (give or take in the American Education System). Just the sight and smell of new office supplies get me in the mood to conquer the world. If bouquets of pencils were a thing (and people actually still used pencils - to be honest) I would give them to all of my friends to celebrate this delicious changing of the guard.
And don't even get me started on the food. Stews, chili, roast, root vegetables, soups, thick crusty bread, baked apples, hot cider, cups of herbal tea, hot chocolate, pumpkin spice anything, yum, Yum, YUM!
La petite mort.
Recently, I found myself in the position of baking tens of dozens of cookies, brownies, rice krispie treats, etc for a bake sale to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (DONATE! Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Leukemia sucks!) and decided to add a little Autumn to the mix by baking Pumpkin Spice cookies.
Guys.
These are the easiest, most delicious cookies I have ever made. And people love them. Love love. Like I just washed my bed sheets, curl up and snuggle, stretch out my toes, first kiss, electric kind of love. Don't believe me? I baked 7 dozen of those little guys just for my friends and family outside of the bake sale, and they were gone in 24 hours with people begging me to make more. They are the crack of cookies. I don't know what crack is really like, but it seems to me that people with a crack problem, love their crack. Right? Right.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies!
For this recipe you'll need:
Cookies:
8oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs (left out for 1 to 2 hours ahead of time - always best to bake with as close to room temperature ingredients as possible)
1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Frosting:
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup Butter, melted (measure out the butter, then melt it)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 to 3 tablespoons Boiling Water
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In Kitchen Aid Mixer or with hand mixer, beat cream cheese and both sugars until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
4. Add canned pumpkin and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder and lightly mix together with fork or whisk.
6. At a slow speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 separate turns. (this will keep the dry ingredients from blowing up into your face when you turn on the mixer and also, it will incorporate everything a little bit easier.) DO NOT OVER MIX - once everything is well combined, stop. Do not keep beating. Your cookies will turn to hockey pucks. And no one will eat them. And all of this effort will be for nothing.
7. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. These cookies are a little cake-like so leave room for them to expand. Bake 10-12 minutes. For my oven 11 minutes was perfect. Once done, remove from oven and let cookies cool on a wire cookie rack (if you don't have a wire rack, just put some parchment on a clean counter and let cookies cool there. It'll make it easier when you go to frost them anyway.)
8. Let cookies completely cool.
9. For the frosting, combine powdered sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Mix with a fork. Slowly add a tablespoon at a time of the boiling water until the frosting's consistency is a little runny and can be easily spooned or drizzled.
10. Use a spoon and drizzle/puddle frosting on cookies. Let frosting stiffen on cookies for at least 20 minutes before stacking or packaging cookies up. I placed mine in a big tupperware container with parchment paper separating the layers of cookies and placed the whole thing in the fridge.
Well, off to take the sidekick for a walk on this beautiful, crisp day. :)
Forever Yours,
The Unemployed Diva
No comments:
Post a Comment