PUMPKIN WALNUT COOKIES WITH CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting image

I picked up the latest issue of Taste of Home, Best-Loved Cookies and Bars. Because of the season, I wanted to make pumpkin cookies. When I couldn't decide between 2 recipes, I smooshed them together and made it my own, especially the frosting. A touch of maple syrup adds a hint of the holidays and the cream cheese adds a rich, creamy texture to the frosting and keeps it not too sweet. These are easy to make and sooo delicious. Don't be afraid of the thick mixture, especially after adding the walnuts. This produces a soft, moist, chewy, cake-like cookie. If you're not a stickler for smooth edges or are in a rush, refrigeration isn't necessary. It just stays more formed and doesn't create little points after being scooped (especially from a cookie scooper). These cookies don't spread out much, so you can place them closer together on the cookie sheet to bake more at a time. Cooking time is bake time + making the frosting.

Provided by caffeine junkie

Categories Drop Cookies

Time 40m

Yield 7 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup or 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 -2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Steps:

For cookies: In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugars; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well (dough will be thick). Fold in chopped nuts. Refrigerate cookie dough for 2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes. (Mine came out perfectly in 12 minutes for both a gas and electric oven. These cookies don't brown much because of their color.).
Cool for 1 minute on pan. Move to wire rack to cool.
For frosting: In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
Stir in maple syrup (or flavoring) and vanilla extract. Cool completely.
In a mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir caramel until smooth, add to cream cheese, and mix until combined.
Add and mix in powdered sugar, starting with 2 cups, until it reaches a frosting consistency. Frost cookies.
NOTE: I've glazed these when the bottom of the cookies are just a little warm and the frosting has set up beautifully. With my next batch, I didn't wait as long, and while the frosting did stay on the top, some of it did ooze down the sides like a glaze. So frost however you want it to be like!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1183.5, Fat 54.4, SaturatedFat 22.1, Cholesterol 118.8, Sodium 589, Carbohydrate 166.8, Fiber 4.1, Sugar 118.1, Protein 14.6