Lunch Table Oktoberfest :) & Pumpkin Spice Cookies

This week my lunch table girls and I celebrated fall and its wonderful pumpkin… aka: the lunch table Oktoberfest :)

On Monday us girls were talking about a future girls night out for youth group and what we could do… we thought since it is fall everyone could bring something pumpkinish or fallish, but then we all started craving those foods, and one thing led to another…

Katie brought pumpkin scones to share on Tuesday (they were bomb!), Brittney brought pumpkin bars on Wednesday (a recipe from Paula Deen, how could she go wrong?), A&A brought pumpkin spice cookies on Wednesday (Thursday we had a Spanish honor society meeting) and on Friday we went to a bagel shop—our first time eating off campus! haha :)—while we didn’t eat anything “oktobery” the shop did have pumpkin bagels, who would have thought! 

Anyways, I wanted to share a recipe with you. It is the cookies I brought to lunch (I even made some for dad to take to work... they were gone in 1 day! :) ). In the words of Katie and Amy, "they are so good... like the top of a muffin!" 

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES:

ingredients:

for the cookies

2-1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 can (15oz) pumpkin purée

1 can chopped pecans (or walnuts)

for the icing

1 c. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 tsp. maple syrup (or maple flavoring)

cooking directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line cookie sheets with wax/parchment paper. 

cookies: In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugars for about 3 minutes, or until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape sides of bowl. On low speed gradually add flour mixture, beating just until blended. Fold in nuts.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. 

Makes about 4 dozen.

Bake for about 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. 

Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely. 

icing: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and maple flavoring. Using a small whisk or fork, blend until icing is smooth and thin enough to drizzle from a fork. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies.

Let icing set before storing cookies between cookies layers of wax paper. If you want to freeze them, don't ice them until defrosted and ready to eat.

I got this recipe from American Lifestyle Magazine and they are a new favorite :) "These slightly spicy, soft, chewy, cake-like cookies are a perfect fall treat."