Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every year the Seattle Passport Agency holds a Passport Day, where the lobby is open on a Saturday for applicants who might not be able to apply for a passport during the week. It's a good opportunity for overtime (one I didn't take advantage of last year) despite being on a weekend. As I've done for previous Saturday overtimes, I decided to bake something to help us get through the somewhat long day (we clock in earlier on these days but also clock out earlier). Because it's officially fall, I decided on something with pumpkin. After a lot of searching (I had eggs to use up, so I was a bit picky this time), I finally chose a pumpkin cookie recipe from Dear Crissy.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies (source)

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

• (I decided to just add a bag of white chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (add until desired consistency/firmness)
• ground cinnamon sprinkled on top (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in as much of the four as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. (It was at this point that I added the white chocolate chips.)
2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
3. For frosting, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cookies. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

They were a hit! One co-worker even called them "exquisite." It took a while for them to disappear though. Which was understandable: I also brought a couple Safeway bakery items and our manager brought a wider variety of the same thing.