Pumpkin cookies. Soft pumpkin cookies. Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Icing. How I’ve yet to make these for you in the past seven years is frankly beyond me because they are SUCH a staple in my family and own household each fall. They’re cake-like and pretty, iced with some attention to decorating and- very unlike most cookies that come out of my oven, as I prefer the drop variety that I can whip up in thirty minutes or less.
These take a little more time and attention, but I will say that they are 100% worth it. My friends agree. These have been a friend favorite for years, and should you endeavor to make them, they will be your friends’ favorite as well- making YOU your friends’ favorite!
Promise promise. A few things about these cookies. They use shortening. Yes, I KNOW. Who uses shortening anymore? I rarely, rarely do, but sometimes…you just have to stay true to the recipe that has been handed down through the generations. If you do try these make them with butter- let me know how it goes. I’ve yet to try on my own.
The second thing about these cookies is the shape- they look almost like the Reese’s Peanut Butter eggs that we see lining grocery store shelves each spring. While you can probably drop these without ceremony or just using an ice cream scoop, I use two spoons to shape these into teardrops. However you shape these is up to you- they will be just as delicious either way!
Finally, these are topped with a delicious brown sugar butter icing, tasty in its own right and the perfect topping to any other baked thing that comes out of your oven this fall- quick breads and muffins, I’m looking at you. Pumpkin, banana, zucchini- that recipe- use it often, use it well.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Easy cake-like soft pumpkin cookies are a fall favorite with a brown sugar icing and a pecan for garnish.
Ingredients
- For the cookies:
- 1 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- For the icing:
- 3 TB unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- -40 pecans
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 In the bowl of a mixer, beat the shortening and sugars together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix, adding the nuts last.
- Step 3 Drop in tablespoon sizes on a parchment lined cookie sheet, giving the cookies room to expand. Bake 12-14 minutes until slightly colored. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 4 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Set aside.
- Step 4 While the cookies are baking, make the icing. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir one minute. Add the milk and powdered sugar and mix to a spreading consistency (adding more milk if necessary).
- Step 5 Coat the top of each cookie with the icing and garnish with a whole pecan.
- Step 6 Easy cake-like soft pumpkin cookies are a fall favorite with a brown sugar icing and a pecan for garnish.
Great recipe – my wife and I made these tonight and they were very tasty. Two “deviations” 1) she mistakenly put in a whole can of pumpkin instead of one cup. We just added some more flour and it didn’t seem to hurt anything 2) obviously I missed a step when I made the “icing” because I somehow made caramel ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . It went on the cookies anyway and still tasted good. Thanks for the recipe! – Andy
Well, as long as they came out good, then I’m glad! They are one of my faves.