Thanksgiving Recipes - Spiced Pumpkin Softies

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Nov 9th 2009 @ 3:45PM

Pumpkin pie gets downsized into easy, portable treats. Autumnal-spiced cookies are topped with cream-cheese frosting for a little bit of sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice.

Get the recipe to this classic along with many others after the jump.

Spiced Pumpkin Softies
Provided by Woman's Day

3/4 cup golden raisins
2 sticks (1 cup) light (Land O'Lakes) or regular butter, softened
1/2 cup each packed light brown sugar and granulated sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg
3/4 canned pumpkin purée
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Optional: nonpareils for decoration

Frosting
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 Tbsp 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened (3 oz)
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp orange extract
Orange food color

Place raisins in small bowl; fill with hot water to cover. Let stand 10 minutes to soften; drain and reserve raisins.

Heat oven to 350°F. You'll need a baking sheet(s) lightly coated with nonstick spray.

Beat butter, sugars, spice, vanilla and baking soda in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in egg and pumpkin purée until well blended.

On low speed, gradually beat in flour until just blended. Stir in reserved raisins.

Drop level tablespoons of dough 1 in. apart onto greased baking sheet(s). Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to rack to cool completely.

Frosting: Beat ingredients in a medium bowl with mixer on medium-low speed until smooth; tint pastel orange with food color. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons frosting on each cookie. Sprinkle frosting with nonpareils. Refrigerate cookies to set frosting.

Storage Tip: Store airtight in refrigerator with wax paper between layers up to 1 week.

For more Thanksgiving recipe ideas at KitchenDaily.

Filed Under: Holidays
Tags: fall, pumpkin, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipes, womans day