Pumpkin Cookies

[ostrich]

Pumpkin Cookies



Difficulty: Easy
Yield: roughly 50 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups Featherlite Flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup coarsely copped walnuts, optional
1 cup raisins, optional

Buttercream Icing
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs whipping cream or fresh orange juice

Featherlite flour:
3 cups rice flour
3 cups tapioca starch
3 cups cornstarch
3 tablespoons potato FLOUR (Not starch)

Combine in a plastic container with a good seal. Store in a cool, dry place.

For the cookies:
1. In one bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well.
2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well blended.
4. Add the nuts and raisins.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for several hours (overnight is better).
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover your cookie sheet in parchment paper.
7. Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a cookie rack, then cover with frosting.

For the frosting:
1. Cream the sugar and butter until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. If the icing is too thin, add more sugar. If it's too thick, add more cream or juice.



Ostrich notes:
1. I take horrible pictures.
2. This was adapted from a Food Network recipe.
3. I didn't add walnuts or raisins because nobody I know likes them.
4. The dough is very, very sticky. So the fridge part is crucial. I highly recommend using a cookie scoop. It forms the dough into nice, properly-sized balls and you don't get messy.
5. These aren't very sweet cookies. They taste more like pumpkin and spices. IMHO I think they taste perfect without the frosting. If you want to add just a bit of sweetness I suggest drizzling them with confectioner's glaze. If you want to use the buttercream frosting just remember it has real butter in it. Which means it's going to melt at room temperature. You'll have to refrigerate the cookies before putting the frosting on.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

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