Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve got pumpkin fever! I am so excited it is finally fall (see here if you are confused). And I’m celebrating the fall with pumpkin. Lots and lots of pumpkin!

Over the weekend I was in total pumpkin baking mode! First I will share these delectable little pumpkin cookies with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

I found these little fall beauties on Audra’s blog The Baker Chick. She has so many tasty looking treats on there. When she posted these pumpkin cookies I knew I had to make them this fall.

These cookies are like little pillows of pumpkin and spice goodness. My roommate was watching me make these and went back into her room. When she came out she was raving about the wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. She tasted one of the unfrosted cookies and closed her eyes and a smile appeared on her face.

The cookies are slightly firm on the outside, but perfectly soft and puffy on the inside. The cream cheese frosting is perfectly cinnamony and creamy. It really does make the cookie complete.

I hope you enjoy these little pumpkin goodies.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from The Baker Chick

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

¾ cups sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 egg yolk

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

4 tbsp. cream cheese

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture in three increments. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Using a small cookie scoop (mine was about 1 ½ inches in diameter) portion out the dough onto the lined cookie sheet. Space each cookie about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cookies spring back when lightly touched. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Make the frosting while you wait for the cookies to cool.

In a medium bowl beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Spread about 1-1 ½ tsp. of frosting on each cookie.