Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting
These soft, cake-like pumpkin cookies smell wonderful and are a great reminder of autumn. The recipe came from my great-grandmother and yields a small batch, so we sometimes double it. The caramel frosting is glaze-like and quite thin, so it helps to place the cooled cookies on waxed paper while frosting. I usually use an entire can of pumpkin, rather than letting a small portion of it go to waste. Store in an airtight container for very soft cookies, store in a loosely covered container for firmer cookies.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 3 persons
Ingredients
- 1cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1cup light brown sugar
- 1cup pumpkin puree
- 1large egg
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½teaspoon salt
- 1pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste
- 1pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½cup chopped walnuts
- ½cup raisins
- ½cup brown sugar
- 4tablespoons milk
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1cup powdered sugar
- ¾teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Step 2
Cream butter and brown sugar for cookies together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Stir in pumpkin, then egg. Add baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in flour. Mix in walnuts and raisins.Step 3
Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.Step 4
Bake each sheet on the bottom rack in the preheated oven for 6 to 7 minutes; continue to bake on the top rack until edges are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Continue with remaining cookie sheets in this manner. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.Step 5
While the cookies cool, melt brown sugar, milk, and butter for frosting in a medium pot over low heat. Bring to a boil; continue to boil mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool for 3 to 10 minutes. The longer the mixture is cooled, the thicker the frosting will be on the cookies.Step 6
Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the frosting mixture, stir well, and drizzle or spread onto cooled cookies. Allow the cookies to cool for 1 to 2 hours before stacking.