Mmmm Pumpkin Cookies

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. 2
   Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. 3
   In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and Crisco. Add sugar and eggs and mix well. Then add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree (just use plain canned pumpkin, not the stuff used to make pumpkin pies). Mix until combined. You may need to scrape down your bowl at this point.
4. 4
   Now slowly add the flour to mixture. Be careful not to overmix here (it will make your cookie come out tough). You want to mix until it is combined, don't keep the mixer going after that point. Besides, your mixer may be straining at this point because there will be a lot of dough.
5. 5
   Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Smoosh the cookies down a little with your fingers.
6. 6
   Bake each sheet for about 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
7. 7
   Only bake one cookie tray at a time.
8. 8
   To make the frosting:
9. 9
   With an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese and butter thoroughly. Slowly add powdered sugar (you don't want that stuff flying out of your bowl). Once mixed, add vanilla extract. Continue to mix until frosting is nice and smooth.
10. 10
    Frost your cookies once they have cooled. If you like a lot of frosting on your cookies, you may have to make a double batch of this.
11. 11
    Cook's Note: This recipe makes about 36 regular- sized cookies or about 48 smaller cookies.
12. 12
    To make your own pumpkin pie spice, just mix together the following:
13. 13
    * 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14. 14
    * 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
15. 15
    * 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
16. 16
    * 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg