Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

I've been missing the smells of chocolate, berries, batter and vanilla wafting through my house and knew it was time to get back to baking. What better way to jump back into it than to make some pumpkin cookies! I got this recipe from Joy of Baking and added cranberries for even more of a "fall" feel. These cookies are almost like muffins or scones in a way, as they are scrumptious, fluffy and soft. The cream cheese frosting adds the perfect "oomph" to them, but they are fantastic on their own as well.

*Note: I think I over beat the batter a bit and made the cookies larger than they should have been.If you make sure to not over beat the batter and aim for smaller cookies than me, you'd probably end up with a more traditional cookie texture.

Ingredients

Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour 

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/4 cups  light brown sugar (I used regular brown)

1/2 cup  canola oil or corn oil (I used safflower oil, which is healthier)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup  pumpkin puree (about 1 can, if you don't have fresh)

1/3 Cup dried cranberries (not in the original recipe)

Frosting

4 ounces  (1/2 brick) room temperature cream cheese (I used low fat)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together all dry ingredient and set aside.

Using your mixer,beat together eggs, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin.

Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. (This is the part I over did it a bit... oops!)

Using a 1/4 Cup or large spoon, pour batter into large dollops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Make sure to space them about 2". Also, the cookies don't flatten out when they bake like many other do, so you might end up with them lumpy if you are sloppy during this step.

Have lumpy cookies? Never fear! Use your frosting to make them into something fun, like this angry man cookie. Think of them as clouds... we'll all see something different.

Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers of the cookies.

While they bake, make your frosting! Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth, or about 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well until your frosting is a good consistency.Use a piping bag for fun, or just spread it on evenly. Make sure cookies are thoroughly cooled before icing them.

My brother decorated this one. I'm not even going to tell you what it's supposed to be.

 

Frost, eat and enjoy!

Happy Baking!