Ahhh, summer.  The glorious time of year when stay at home moms like me spend relaxing days, sunning ourselves by the kiddie pool, iced tea in hand, watching our kids splash around and have a wonderful time.  As wonderful as summer is though, for me it is just a passing fancy.  The real appeal of summer, for me, is that it is the season that leads into my favorite time of year…

Fall.

Yes indeed, I have a sickness about fall.  I look forward to it all year and fully cherish it while it is hear.  I landscaped my new yard with trees based SOLELY on what color their leaves would turn in October.  I love all things with pumpkins, turkeys, cranberries, and the smell of poultry seasoning and pumpkin pie spice wafting out of my kitchen.

And so, even though it is only mid-July, today my daughter and I made pumpkin snickerdoodles.  I love snickerdoodles.  I’ve made my favorite classic snickerdoodles, cinnamon butter filled snickerdoodles, and snickerdoodle blondies– a new favorite.  But I’d never tried pumpkin snickerdoodles, although I figured, how could you go wrong? What goes better with pumpkin than cinnamon and sugar? Nothing!

These soft, slightly-cakier-than-normal-snickerdoodles cookies were delicious, and they will become a new staple come October.  Oh, who am I kidding? Come Labor Day. 🙂

Oh, and for your enjoyment and learning, here are a few pictures of the results of telling your two year old to “go ahead and turn on” the Kitchenaid Mixer after you’ve added all the dry ingredients. 🙂  Snow in your kitchen in July! 😉

Recipe adapted from Fake Ginger

For the cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
.In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter until fluffy. Add sugars and pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into liquid mixture a little at a time just until incorporated.

Cover dough with plastic and chill at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). Mix rolling sugar ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoons) or a large spoon to scoop out dough and roll into balls. Use your hands to roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and make sure they’re coated really well. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a glass with a nice, flat bottom to dip in sugar and flatten the balls.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes or so, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.