Easy (and adorable) Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I've been making these cookies for years, and they're one of my mom's favorites. Every year, she strongly *hints* about how much she loves them and *wonders* whether she'll get to satisfy her craving.

If she happens to visit me during the fall, she gets fresh, pretty batch. If she doesn't visit, she gets a batch in the mail, and claims that although they arrive "mangled," they're still delicious.

This year, I sent them back to Ohio with my friend, Lesley, who recently visited. She hand-delivered them to a very happy Momma.

The pumpkin candies on top are essential, according to my mom. They take them up a notch from delicious to delicious, cute and whimsical.

Ingredients

1 package carrot cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 egg
Cream cheese frosting
36 candy pumpkins

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin, margarine and egg; stir until well-combined. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and set in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.


Frost cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting. Press 1 candy pumpkin onto each cookie. Makes 36 cookies.


Source: Pillsbury's 40 Easy Meals & Treats

My notes:

In the past, I've always used regular store-bought cream cheese frosting. But after I made homemade cream cheese frosting this summer, I knew it was worth the extra effort. If you've got time, make your own. It's just so much better. But if you need to use store-bought, that's ok. They'll still be a hit.