Iced pumpkin treats for Halloween - or every day ~ The Oubliette

I'm the furthest thing from Suzy Homemaker. No, really.

I don't cook gourmet meals, bake award-winning cakes or cupcakes, sew (anything), or even excessively clean unless forced.

But I pride myself on having a few go-to specialties to make sure I don't lose wife/stepmom status altogether. I make a mean lasagna, I can sew a button in a pinch, and sometimes I am inspired by the Cooking Channel to make something a little different than the traditional meat and potatoes dinner.

That said, the quickest way to my family's heart is with cookies, Chocolate Chip to be exact - I've got the Hershey's recipe down to a science. I hardly stray from that recipe, no matter how tempting the pictures in a magazine may be.

The exception, of course, is during pumpkin season.

While these ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES aren't necessarily creepy, spooky or scary, pumpkins ARE one of my favorite symbols of Halloween - decorating them, carving them, and absolutely eating them.

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES

(makes 3 dozen)

INGREDIENTS

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

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

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Enjoy! 26 sleeps until Halloween :-)

- Dawn