Iced Pumpkin Cookies (...or, I am declaring FALL in 90 degree weather..)

This has been a crazy week!

My truck hates me.

I don't know why it hates me- I love my truck! But alas, it does, indeed, hate me. It keeps refusing to start, got a flat tire..... battery went dead....

It makes me crazy when things don't work! Anything..... electronics, my phone, a plan...... are you that way too??!

Anyhow, on top of the craziness, there is some distinctly anti-Fall weather going on. I bought a few things to do some Fall baking, and was waiting and waiting for the season to assert itself....waiting in vain.

So, here are the cookies that scream "FALL"..... even though it was 85 degrees out today!

These cookies remind me of the awesome pumpkin scones from Starbucks. I love those. They are so awful for you nutritionally, but I crave them sometimes after a long run. And I figure, what the heck, it's pumpkin, right?? It has to be good for you somehow!!

Here's what you need:

For the dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (I omitted this. Not a fan)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• For the icing:
• 
  
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk (I subbed 1 Tb maple syrup for one Tb of the milk)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the butter, white sugar, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Look at that dough! Isn't it pretty?? All thick and orange....mmmmmm.....

Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam, and bake for 15 minutes in a pre-heated 350 oven. Cool on a rack.

Then whisk together the icing ingredients and spread onto the cooled cookies. If you are frugal with the icing, there will be enough for you to eat out of the bowl later. I highly recommend this method. It made me happy.

See?? These declare Fall, and are far more palatable than candy corn. Candy corn is so gross. Don't eat any. Eat these cookies instead.

I got this recipe from www.allrecipes.com

DINNER TONIGHT:
~BLT sandwiches made with turkey bacon
~tangerines
~pumpkin cookies (duh) :)