Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

A little messy, but so good...

I don't know where I got the recipe for pumpkin cookies, or even when I first made them. It's been years, and there are about a million versions out there. Some have chocolate chips, some have nuts. Some have cream cheese frosting, some have none. In the end, I just made them the way I like them. No nuts, no chocolate chips, and topped with a very delicious penuche frosting (that I use on a bunch of other stuff). These are my husband's favorite cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

Printable Recipe

½ cup shortening

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

Frosting

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup light cream

2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, butter and sugars until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add the egg and continue to beat for another 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spice, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and beat until just blended.

Using a cookie scoop, drop the batter, two inches apart, on cookie sheets. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Using a cookie scoop makes it easy to have the cookies turn out the same size.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 3 tablespoons butter and ½ cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, and beat until smooth.  Gradually stir in 2 cups powdered sugar until frosting has reached desired consistency. Spread on cooled cookies.

I like to keep the frosting on warm heat and drizzle them on the cookies--then they harden up a little like candy. Alternately, you can add more powdered sugar and frost them the usual way.

Put a parchment lined pan underneath to catch the drips.

They're like little soft cakes with candy on top.