Happy Life Blogspot

Soooo….I wasn’t going to release this one til the weekend….BUT, when I found out that it was #NationalPumpkinDay, I couldn’t think of a better time to get this up on the blog! This is a big one for me! This is my BEST pumpkin recipe. (gasp!) I know, I know!! That’s a pretty big statement to make when we’re smack dab in the middle of pumpkin spice season, but you guys, this one really is SO amazing!!! It’s also one of my most requested recipes too!! A typical Fall greeting from my friends and family goes something like this, “Did you bring pumpkin cookies???????”. I could literally make these every weekend during Fall and I promise you not a single cookie would go uneaten (and this recipes makes a pretty big batch too!) They are pillowy soft and cake like which makes them just melt in your mouth! And then there’s the glaze!! Oh, that glaze!!! I could literally eat it with a spoon. The bowl is licked clean by the time it makes it to the sink. Every. Damn. Time. Shout out to my niece Jenna who is a PUMPKIN COOKIE MONSTER!!! I’m pretty sure she can eat her weight in pumpkin cookies, which she obviously learned from her Dad, the original pumpkin cookie beast! Stop reading this and start printing the recipe!!! Trust me.

Here’s all that you’ll need: shortening, white sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, flour, butter, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and white sugar. Then beat in the pumpkin. Add the egg and mix well.

Mix in the baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Then blend in the flour, one cup at a time. Really make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as you’re mixing. Sometimes there’s a little secluded pumpkin patch hiding at the bottom.

When I said everyone loves pumpkin cookies, I really do mean EVERYONE!!! These patient little puppies were dying to lick the beaters. The ingredients are pretty pet friendly so I usually spoil them with a bite of pumpkin cookie minus the glaze on top!

For years I would just plop these bad mamma jammas onto my cookie sheet…..but then I got a cookie scoop. I don’t obsessively use it but for this recipe….it’s AWESOME!!! The dough is a bit sticky and its just so much easier to handle with the scoop. It keeps the cookies so nice and round. Not that anyone minds eating asymmetrical cookies, but the perfectionist inside of me feels like this tool alone has really upped my pumpkin cookie game! I love it!! 

Scoop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Parchment paper and cookie making should always go hand in hand IMO. If you haven’t discovered it yet, put it on your shopping list. You can find it with the aluminum foil and the cling wrap. 

Be sure to leave enough space between the cookies. They will spread a little bit. I like to use my largest size cookie sheet and go 12 per tray. Works perfect!

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until the edges start to brown slightly. In my  oven 12 seems to be right on the money! You want to make sure the tops are cooked all the way through, but you don’t want to burn the bottoms. It can be a little tricky when you’re working with a darker colored dough like this, but you’ll get the hang of it! Cool before glazing.

Heat milk, brown sugar, and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Cook until the brown sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix with a whisk until well combined. Let the glaze sit for about 30 minutes or until thickened. Mix with a whisk to keep it nice and smooth. Once the glaze is thick enough to spread, spoon over cookies. The more the merrier. I get pretty generous with the glaze!! I usually have to scrape the bowl to cover the last 3 cookies!! Allow glaze to harden if you plan to stack them or just dive right in!! You know you want to!!!!! 

Looks like someone couldn’t wait to take a bite! What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?

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