These spiced pumpkin cookies are soft, cakey, delicious, and may even be good for you. Pumpkin has lots of beta carotene that provides vitamin A.
They are equally delicious with or without frosting. To celebrate Halloween, I decorate them with raisins for eyes, a straight piece and crossed-sections of dates for nose and mouth, respectively.
For more bite and texture, add a cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the following ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice together for later use.
Cream butter using an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Then add sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy. Finally, add egg and continue beating until well blended.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually stir in pumpkin, then flour mixture, and finally chopped dates and/or your preferred nuts.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, spacing about 1 or 2-inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets. If you want to decorate cookies before baking, flatten each portion slightly before placing your decorating materials.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned.
Transfer pumpkin cookies to wire racks to cool completely before serving or frosting.
Heat butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in sifted powder sugar and vanilla extract. Add just enough hot water to make a smooth and spreadable frosting.
Immediately frost cooled pumpkin cookies. If frosting becomes grainy, add a few more drops of hot water and stir until smooth.
