Harvest time is a great time of the year to make some cut out cookies with the kids. But, make them a little different by putting the flavor of fall into them. Instead of just sugar cookies make your cut out cookies have the flavor of pumpkin. They will smell like autumn while they cook and they make great treats for Halloween or Thanksgiving. Not only to they taste good but they will make the kitchen smell great as they cook.
Make this a family project. The kids can cut the cookies out and after they cook they can help put the frosting on and decorate each cookie. You can make them look like plain pumpkins or use candy corn to make eyes, nose, and the mouth of a jack-o-lantern. The kids will remember making cookies for Halloween or Thanksgiving for a long, long time.
Make sure to only use plain pumpkin instead of the type with the spices added in.
Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8th teaspoon salt
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl combine butter, shortening, and sugar.
- Beat with a mixer at medium speed until the mixture becomes light and creamy.
- Add the egg, pumpkin and vanilla and continue beating until well mixed.
- In another bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix with a spoon to combine.
- Turn the mixer to low and add flour mixture by spoonfuls making sure each is mixed into the butter mixture well before adding the next.
- Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated in the mixture.
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours. The dough should be firm when you take it out.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Take one portion of dough out, remove from plastic wrap and roll out on lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness.
- Cut with a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter.
- Place cut out cookies 1 inch apart on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of the pumpkin turn brown.
- Let sit on the cookie sheet for about 2 to 3 minutes then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool.
- Repeat with other portion of refrigerated dough
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1-3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- food coloring
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese and butter.
- Beat with mixer until well blended.
- Add vanilla and beat well.
- Turn mixer to low and add cinnamon and powdered sugar.
- Add enough milk to make into a spreading consistency and beat well until thoroughly mixed.
- If your cookie cutter has a stem on it remove enough frosting to make green and make the rest orange.
- Once the cookies are totally cool you can spread the green on frosting on the stem and orange frosting on the rest of the cookie.
Decorate the cookies with candy corn or colored sugar or harvest colored sprinkles. You can also make the frosting a little thinner with more milk and put it in a piping bag to make details on the pumpkin or vines. They are good anyway you make them and the kids will have a great time making them and eating them.
Deborah Harding - Deborah Harding has developed recipes, worked with herbs and written home school curriculum for over 20 years.
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