Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Icing

I am not normally a fan of pumpkin flavored things but these are GOOD!  I think it's the cream cheese icing that gets me.  The cookies are moist and the icing is a perfect complement.  These are headed to work for our Thanksgiving luncheon.  Yes, it is early!  But we always do it before everyone starts taking vacation so that we can have max participation.  I have one more dessert to make for the luncheon, a caramel apple pecan cheesecake.  Mmmm!  More to come on that later..... 

Pumpkin Cookies

Yield: 24-36 Cookies depending on how big you make them.  I got 36 with mine.

Ingredients
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin (solid; not pie mix)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Cream shortening, butter, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well.

2. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

3. Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. The dough will be kind of sticky, you won't be able to make balls like normal cookie dough.

4. Bake 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Could take longer if you have a slow oven like mine!  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract will also work)
2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese with the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl.

2. Heat in a microwave for 15 seconds.

3. Drizzle spoonfuls over the cooled cookies and smooth with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Recipe originally found on My Baking Addiction