Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with an Amaretto Icing

I strongly associate fall with pumpkins, simply because they’re everywhere. Children are taking pictures in pumpkin patches, people are carving them for Halloween, and Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie. With all of that pumpkin floating around, it’s a great time to put it to other uses. After reading somewhere that pumpkin can be used as a substitute for butter or oil, I couldn’t help but put that knowledge to the test. We tried it over a year ago with some sugar cookies that Peter and I like to make and the cookies have since become a staple in our household. Here’s the recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is consistent.

Wrap the dough in Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters or flatten into small circles. Use cooking spray and extra flour to prevent cookies from sticking.

Bake cookies at 400 degrees on a greased pan for about eight minutes or until golden brown.

While the cookies are in the oven, start to make the icing. Pour a large amount of powdered sugar into a bowl and slowly add small amounts of amaretto until you reach a thick consistency.

Note: The amaretto dissolves the powdered sugar quickly, so it’s important to only add a little bit at a time to avoid a gooey mess.

The pumpkin in the cookies makes them fluffier than regular cookies. This recipe combines a childhood favorite with a more adult icing. Plus, they must have more vitamins than regular sugar cookies!

Which ingredients do you like to swap?