Pumpkin Cookies

These are easy to make - tasty too!

First, you need a pumpkin.


Cut it in half, take out the seeds, place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet.






The waiting is the hardest part!


While the pumpkin is baking, separate the seeds from the goo. You can roast the seeds later, and feed the goo to the chickens or the compost pile.


The pumpkin will get soft and the skin will darken. When you take the pumpkin from the oven, flip the halves over to let the steam escape (they will cool more quickly that way).




Use a spoon to scoop the soft pulp into a bowl. You can discard the skin (again, chickens or compost).


If you have a food processor, it is great for puree'ing the pulp. I don't have one, so I'm using a hand blender.


There you go!


Now you have lovely pumpkin puree for your cookies! Here is the recipe I use. Thank you, S.P. for this awesome recipe, given to me at our wedding shower, 17+ years ago. I LOVE these!

First, the original recipe, then my adjusted version. (Both are yummy, by the way!)

Pumpkin Cookies
1c. sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 c. shortening
2c. all purpose flour
1 tsp, baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, pumpkin and shortening. When creamed, stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Test for doneness as you would cake, will spring to touch when done. Do not overcook. Remove from cookies sheet; cool. Spread with Light Brown Glaze. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Light Brown Glaze
1/4 c. margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

Melt margarine on stove top or in microwave. When melted, stir in sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add enough milk to make glaze silky and spreadable. Will glaze 1 batch cookies, 2 loaf cakes, 1 tube cake, 1 13x9 inch cake or 2 8x8 inch cakes.

My version has less sugar and fat, more fiber, but it's still good!
1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar
16 oz (weighed on kitchen scale, because it's not from a can) pumpkin puree'
1/3 c. shortening
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raisins (optional, but I usually use them)
1/2 tsp allspice or ginger (depends on which I have on hand)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
(If you like, you can use pumpkin pie spice (1 Tbsp) in place of the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove)

Directions are the same:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, pumpkin and shortening. When creamed, stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Test for doneness as you would cake, will spring to touch when done. Do not overcook. Remove from cookies sheet; cool. Spread with Light Brown Glaze. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Note: I don't always add the light brown glaze. It's very yummy, but if you put it on your cookies, they can't go into a cookie jar or be stacked. When I do use it, I make a half recipe, to help cut down on the sugar.

Here is the dough:


I used a scoop to put it on the cookie sheet, then the back of a wet spoon (dip in water between cookies) is used to smooth them down just a bit.




Baked:


Cooling, and ready to eat! (or frost)