Pumpkin Cookies

My good friend Lauren from Wheaton made these cookies once that her mom made every year in the fall, and since then I've carried on the tradition and made them every fall! I became obsessed the minute I put them into my mouth. They are like a fluff of pumpkin cloud inside of your mouth, and they are super easy to make.

Here's how to make them:

Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• Pinch of salt

Frosting:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• Pecans

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixer, cream the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and eggs and mix well.Add the pumpkin and mix. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together. Add these dry ingredients to the batter and mix well.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool on racks. When cool, ice with the cream cheese frosting.

For the Frosting: In a mixer, fitted with a paddle, add the cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little more milk. Fold in the lemon zest. When cookies are cool spread with some of the frosting. Garnish with a pecan.