Along with the wonderful holiday season comes overly rich foods that can pack on the pounds... and I LOVE to bake. This poses a huge problem. Pun intended. I follow a blog called Skinnytaste. She has a ton of recipes that are lower in fat etc. Today I decided to try making her Pumpkin Spice Cookies. I had to alter the recipe because my keys are in my husband's car, which is miles away with him at work. Needless to say I had to make due with the ingredients that I had on hand because I didn't have buttermilk OR pumpkin pie spice.
Here is the recipe I used (Copied from Skinnytaste and changed with my substitutions.): For the original recipe click > Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp salted butter, softened (Original recipe calls for unsalted. Be sure to adjust salt elsewhere)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
- 1/4 cup 1% buttermilk (Mix 1 cup 2% milk with 1 3/4 tsp cream of tartar. Then measure out 1/4 cup of mixture for recipe)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- To make pumpkin pie spice mix 2 tsp ginger, 4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, and 1 tsp nutmeg. This makes way more than what you need for this recipe.
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp 2% milk
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a medium bowl, whip cream cheese, butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Next add egg; beat well. Stir in pumpkin, buttermilk mixture and vanilla.
Combine flour, spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to pumpkin mixture.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
For the glaze: Whisk confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl.
