Well, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and usually, I make a nice cut out sugar cookie for the day and let my two year old go nuts with sprinkles.

Unfortunately, the business of life got in the way and we had to do something simpler.  I had promised her we would make Valentine’s Day cookies though, and this is what we came up with.

She absolutely loves them.  They have a terrific, spiced taste, are soft like cake, and covered with a creamy vanilla cinnamon glaze.

They’re very pretty too.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons red food coloring

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream (milk will do in a pinch)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Add red food coloring (up to 3 TBSP until you get the color you like.) Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork or spoon

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add cream as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.