Pumpkin Cookies
Alexis' school happens to be one of those schools that has a lot of "opportunities" for volunteering for stuff. From recess duty to stuffing envelopes to driving on field trip days to whatever, there is an email just about daily asking for help from parents. Usually I'm all "some of us have to work during the day" and delete, delete, delete, but that leaves me feeling like the jerk who doesn't ever help out. So, when an email asking for cookies for the school's Open House arrived, I was all MEEEEE! MEEEEEE! MEEEEEE!
I like making cookies!
It would be an easy one!
Oooooooh...if the Open House had been scheduled for ANY other week, it would have been easy. As it was, it was sandwiched between a ton of commitments, which meant I needed a quick and easy cookie recipe that I could make several days in advance. I didn't really want to go with that infamous recipe known as "Grab Them At Giant Eagle." I'm lazy, but about a half notch about that level of lazy. Fortunately, I did manage to come up with an idea.
Pumpkin Cookies
I've been using this recipe for years. I got it from my friend Barb who I think found it in a magazine years and years ago. It's a good one because it makes a ton of cookies (5 dozen, give or take) and the resulting cookies freeze well. That means I was able to make them a week ahead of time and pull them out just in time for the Open House. WIN!
Pumpkin Cookies
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
2 cups vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (29 oz)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting (I used this recipe, but canned frosting will work)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large mixing bowl. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the vegetable shortening and sugar until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and continue to beat until blended.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture at low speed until combined.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. They don't spread too much, so you can get away with leaving about an inch in between each cookie.
Bake 15-17 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
And by "the edges begin to brown," I mean barely. They don't change color much. See? The bottoms are a little darker than the tops, but it's not significant.
Don't sweat it. They're done if you see any color change.
Cool on cookie sheets a few minutes, and then transfer the cookies to cooling racks. Once completely cooled, top each cookie with a bit of cream cheese frosting.
These cookies are a little cake-like. If you refrigerate them for a bit, the frosting will set just enough to make them stackable, so they're great for throwing in tins and giving as gifts.
Or eating by the fistful. Whichever.
Recipe
Reader Comments (3)
And then there are the parents like me...I can't bake so I give time. Though I came up with an ingenious way to do it. I made a deal with the kids teacher- "I'll come in whenever I can (generally every other Wednesday and some Fridays) and help out IF you will NOT alert the PTA to my presence." which has worked out well for me. ;)
Oh My!!! These sounds so good! I'll deff have to try them!
Thanks for sharing!
Brandy
Vampire Boy LOVES pumpkin cookies. I'm going to have to make these for him! Thanks for sharing!