Cooler Weather Memories & Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I have always loved the fall. There was a lot of work to be done in preparation for winter's coming. I didn't mind it much as it meant that soon baking season would begin. 

As the weather cooled, the warmth of the oven would not only be tolerated it would be welcomed. That's when the fun would really begin for me. We'd begin baking yummy treats that could only be done in the cooler weather. It wasn't that we couldn't do it at other times of the year. It was just practical to use the fire that was needed to keep us warm to also create heavenly treats. Since otherwise it was usually to hot and it was seen as a frivolous waste of wood and coal. 

No cooler weather was always a signal to me of yummy things to follow. Fresh seasonal ingredients also added to the enjoyment of baking and creating dishes to eat. There's nothing like fresh apple pie or pumpkin cake or bread. I'd often get through the hard work of tending the crops and hauling, cutting, stacking the wood into cords just thinking of what would be created when the weather turned. I would often dream of the soon to be allowed baking and making of cookies, candies, cakes and other delicious seasonal delicacies.

With this in mind I am going to post a recipe a day to honor the festivities of the season. Some will be tried and true favorites, some will be recipes from the family recipe box that have been long forgotten in time, some will be new recipes that are up for consideration to be made, or have been passed on to us for consideration.

Which ever I hope that you will join me in this walk down memory lane and in some cases blazing a new path of memories.


To get us started Here is a recipe for Iced Pumpkin Cookies.

 

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, softened

1½ cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

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.

I made these this weekend and they were very yummy. the Iced ones disappeared before I could get a picture. The plain ones looked like this.