The Freshman Cook: Improv Challenge~Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Wow, that is a big title for such a little cookie! This month the Improv Challenge ingredients are pumpkin and cream cheese. Two great ingredients. As soon I  heard the what they were, I knew what I would make. These cookies have a lot of ingredients, but they are pretty quick to make and oh, so good! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup Sugar

2 sticks Butter

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup

2 Eggs

1 cup canned Pumpkin

1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

pinch Ground Cloves

2 1/2 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

2-8 ounce Packages Cream Cheese

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 cup Milk

1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste

zest of 1/2 Lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the sugar and the butter until fluffy.

Add the maple syrup and the eggs. Mix to incorporate.

Add the pumpkin and mix in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour,

baking powder, cinnamon, allspice,

nutmeg, and cloves.

Whisk until totally mixed.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of pumpkin. 

Mix well.

Fold in milk chocolate chips.

With dough in a small scoop, place cookies on 

baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Place on your wire rack until completely cool.
 So pretty!

Let’s make the frosting!

Place the cream cheese in your mixer bowl.

Mix until light and fluffy.

 Slowly mix in the powdered sugar.

You don’t want it to fly all over you because you are

mixing it too fast.

Add the milk.

Add the vanilla bean paste. You can use

vanilla extract if you would like. I prefer

the paste for frostings because the 

flavor is much deeper.

Fold in the lemon zest.

This looked a little thin to me, so I added another 1/4 cup 

of powdered sugar. Then it was fine!

These would be a great addition to your

Thanksgiving Dessert table!

Enjoy!

Thank you so much to Kristen from  Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
for taking over The Improve Challenge!

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