Are Pumpkins Edible?

It’s beloved, but not for eating.  Although it’s delicious roasted; pureed; baked in

bread and pastries or stuffed in ravioli; mostly it’s a centerpiece.  And the final

degradation is on Halloween, when it’s carved and left to slowly sag as it rots away

on porches around the country.  Where the pumpkin is concerned, few people are.

So,  for my November recipe  I decided I would lift this squash out of it’s lowly

position.  I envisioned a cookie that was as round, beautiful, and stand alone as the

pumpkin. No drop cookies here.

I went to work mining my ‘too’ vast collections of  filed recipes, cookie magazines,

and cookbooks.

I was so excited when I finally found one. It was called Pumpkin-Spiced Balls. But

carrying on the tradition of the pumpkin as decoration, the pumpkin in the name of

this cookie did not refer to the squash. This cookie is beautiful and round, but no

pumpkin. How appropriate!

Oh well, there is always next year’s pumpkin cookie blog at Thanksgiving.  Until

then, I will keep looking.

Pumpkin-Spiced Balls

Preheat oven to 325°

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Pumpkin-Spiced Glaze ( follows)

Beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl if

necessary.

Beat in pumpkin pie spice and as much flour as you can with the stand  or electric

mixer. Stir in any remaining flour, and pecans.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 16-20 min or until bottoms are lightly browned. (If using parchment, bake longer).

Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Pumpkin-Spiced Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
3-4 tsps cream or milk

Combine powdered sugar, and spices in a bowl.

Stir in enough milk to make the glaze the desired consistency.

Dip the tops of the cooled cookies, place on wire rack, and let stand until set.

Makes about 48.

To freeze: place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months.

Adapted from Better Homes And Gardens Christmas Cookies.