Pumpkin Hangover

Although Thanksgiving has passed, my obsession with pumpkin is alive and well. I have big plans to stock up with a cabinets-worth in the near future. Pumpkin works in everything: from savory dishes like lasagna to sweet dishes like pumpkin pie bread, and these spicy pumpkin delights are no exception. I find these cookies to have seasonal flare from fall through early spring. Something about my spicy addition to the frosting lightens the sweetness and tops off the cake-y cookie like no other. I must give credit to an old friend who introduced her pumpkin cookies to me years ago, which served as one of the inspirations for this recipe. As always, I booty-fied and kicked up some of the ingredients to create a moderately healthy cookie. Good luck keeping these babies in the house!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Spicy Creamy Frosting 

Cookie Ingredients:

½ c. apple sauce

¼ c. earth balance OR butter

1 c. pumpkin

½ c. agave nectar (or honey)

½ c. splenda OR sugar

1 c. all purpose flour

1 ½ c. whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

** 3/4 c. dark chocolate chips (can omit frosting and add cc for another twist)

Spiced Frosting Ingredients:

6 oz. fat free cream cheese OR tofutti

¼ c. earth balance OR butter

1 ½ c. confectioners sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.       In a large bowl, cream together all wet cookie ingredients.

3.       In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients.

4.       Add 1/3 of dry mixture at a time to wet mixture until combined.

5.       Use a cookie scooper or two spoons to drop dough onto greased cookie sheet.

6.       Wet the back of a spoon and flatten the center of each cookie.

7.       Bake about 12 minutes, or until cookies feel firm.

8.       Let cool before applying frosting.

9.       Whisk room temperature cream cheese and butter.

10.   Add in other frosting ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

11.   Using a spoon add about at teaspoon of frosting to each cookie and spread with the back of the spoon.

12.   Allow to set for an hour.