Pumpkin Spice Cookies



Pumpkin Spice Cookies



I make these cookies every year and they always get rave reviews.  I made these for the nurses on my last day of this clinical rotation.  They went so fast I couldn't even get a picture.  So I'll update the next time I make them.  This can be made from scratch but it is so much easier to use a spice cake mix. It has the spiciness of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves combined with the sweetness of pumpkin and they actually aren't too bad for you because I use applesauce or apple butter instead of butter, oil, or shortening. These are my new faves. They are super quick and super easy! I do make them a little less healthy by topping them with cream cheese icing. They taste a lot like the pumpkin cookies from City Bites... only BETTER!

1 (14 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
2. Beat the pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until well blended and creamy. Drop by spoonfuls on prepared baking sheets. The batter is runny like a cake mix but they don't expand or run on the cookie sheet. So, whatever they look like when you put them in the oven is what they will look like when you pull them out.
3. Bake in preheated oven until tops are firm when lightly touched, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on racks. If you use stoneware, they take just a bit longer to bake.  Honestly, they are so moist that they are hard to overcook.

The cream cheese icing recipe I use is 1 stick butter and 1 block cream cheese creamed together well, then add about 2 cups or so of powdered sugar. I know it's not exact but I just add more until I like the texture and taste. Unfortunately I have to taste the icing each time I add more. You know, like quality control. It's a painstaking process but I will make the sacrifice.  Enjoy!!!