Pumpkin Spritz Cookies

Wanting to do something Autumn-like, I pulled out my cookie press, mixed up a batch of spritz cookies and pressed them out in the shape of pumpkins.

I added a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for an Autumn-like taste; this added a bit of spice to the basic spritz cookie recipe. The icing is simply a mix of powdered sugar and water (and food coloring, of course).

Classic Spritz Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I added about 1/8 teaspoon more)
7 ounces all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; beat well. Slowly add flour, along with spices; mix well. Dough will be soft; do not refrigerate.

Fill cookie press with dough, press onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired. Note – I stuck my cookie sheet in the freezer before pressing the dough onto it to help the dough stick better.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm, but not brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Decorate with icing when cookies are completely cool.

* I got 2-3 dozen pumpkin shaped cookies with this recipe (I can’t remember how many exactly there were before we started eating them!)