The Perfect Fall Cookie

The Perfect Fall Cookie by guest blogger Ashlee

You know how my last blog entry talked about healthy eating? Well, today I am sharing a deliciously sweet, completely-bad-for-you baking recipe because when I bake, I do it with the intention of fattening up my family and friends. Enjoy!

So, my recipe for the perfect fall cookie happened completely by accident. I Googled THREE separate recipes and accidentally spliced them all. I'm not sure how I accomplished that. However, I am so glad I did! I had coworkers grabbing these and bringing them home to share with family members! They begged me to bring more the next day, and I happily obliged. 

Be prepared for these to disappear immediately!

Here is what you will need:

Cookie Batter:

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 15oz can pumpkin
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• 1/8 teaspoons salt

Frosting:

• ½ cup butter, melted (Melt only when you're ready to make frosting)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. Separately, combine baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. Slowly add in the dry blend. A stand mixer really helps here! I love my Kitchenaid. Seriously.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfulls onto an ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart. They do not expand much, so don't be afraid to make them a little bit close. Bake 13-15 minutes. It might take a batch or two to get right, but pull them out of the oven just as the tops are getting solid and any peaks on the batter are starting to brown slightly. They will continue to bake into the most perfect, soft cookie after you put them on he cooling rack. The bottoms of the cookies will be nice and brown. I found that 13 minutes was the perfect amount of time!

4. For frosting, combine confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla, and just enough water to achieve a frosting consistency as you mix the other ingredients. Ice cookies only after they have cooled enough on the racks, about five minutes.You can frost the cookies in a much prettier fashion, but it is harder to portion out the icing and you need every bit of it to frost all of the cookies this recipe makes! They taste the same, even in their more... Ahem... Rustic formation. Voila! Now stuff your family and friends with these goodies :)