Late bloomer...

I have always been a late bloomer.

It’s quite interesting, really. I was born early. I’m early to every meeting and appointment. I mean, I’m the girl who showed up for her first undergrad class two hours before its start. I love early! Early is comfortable. Yet despite my anal appreciation for earliness, I have been a late bloomer in almost all other respects. Epitome of paradox, right?

Let’s see: from the beginning, I never wanted to leave my parents. My friend’s parents most assuredly detested my six year-old self, as they were forced to take me home after my botched attempts to “sleep over.” It even took me a while to learn to love the independence associated with college. But let’s not stop there. I kissed boys late. I’ve always been somewhat behind on the fashion curve. Yep, classic signs of a late bloomer, I’d say.

So perhaps it isn’t surprising that I’m late to catch onto this year’s “pumpkin craze.” It hit right around fall—when it rightfully should hit. Now, it is January – the middle of winter – and the pumpkin bandwagon passed through town long ago. However, today, I found myself chasing after the bandwagon, begging to take a quick ride despite my tardiness. Good thing I finally got on board because these cookies are fabulous!

I saw these Iced Pumpkin Cookies on Repressed Pastry Chef and knew I had to try them. It took me a good long while to come around to pumpkin, but now that I’ve seen the light, I’m obsessed. These cookies are especially obsession-worthy. Soft and cakey with a nice bit of sugary icing on top—they are the perfect snack (if you can eat only one). I sent these cookies with Todd for his graduate group exam (the exam he takes before beginning work on his Ph.D. dissertation in environmental health science), and Todd reported back that these cookies disappeared! (Consider these cookies scientifically-tested and Ph.D.-approved!)

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Original recipe from Repressed Pastry Chef

2 c AP flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 c shortening
1 c granulated sugar
1 c solid-packed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
3 TBS butter
4 TBS milk
½ c brown sugar, packed
1 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¾ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and set aside.
Cream together shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add the egg, mixing well. Add in the dry ingredients in two parts.
Scoop cookies onto baking sheet, lined with parchment. Bake for 15-18 minutes (mine took about 15). Cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.

To make icing, cook butter, milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat until dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and add in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. (I made the mistake of not sifting my powdered sugar and ended up with clumps in my icing—not that it didn’t still taste amazing.)

Dip cookies into icing and place on rack to dry.