Halloween

There isn’t much time left before the ghosts, ghouls and goblins descend on our city with the long awaited arrival of Halloween.  Children and adults alike will don costumes and roam the town in search of candy, or perhaps some witches brew, the phone number of a cute little vampire or maybe even a kiss from a werewolf.  Whatever your poison, Halloween is a time of fun and festivity- a night full of magic!
In addition to trick-or-treating, I have developed other Halloween traditions throughout the years.  I always have to read some Edgar Allan Poe (if Victorian Gothic can’t get you in the mood for Halloween, nothing will).  I will watch as Linus waits in the pumpkin patch, and likely a Tim Burton flick or 2, and I will most certainly make an obscene amount of pumpkin cookies.
Awesome.
I came up with this recipe about 5 years ago and I have been making them every Halloween since. They don’t last very long though. Especially if you have little monsters tall enough the help themselves from the plate.
I call these cookies, but they are more like a half cookie, half scone. They are fluffy and not too sweet, but there is a lovely vanilla cinnamon glaze that gives them just a touch of sweetness, if that is what you desire.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
½ cup of butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
A dash of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 ¼ cups of flour
1 ½ cup of quick oats
1 cup of pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl- Add the egg and continue to mix.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, nutmeg and baking soda- gradually add to the butter mixture.

Once all of your flour is incorporated, stir in the oats, and then the pumpkin.
(Feel free to add white choc. chips, nuts or dried cranberries as well.)

Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet, flattening the mound a bit.
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Let cool on a rack.
While your cookies are cooling, you can mix up the glaze. It isn’t necessary to glaze them, but it is pretty darn good!

Glaze
1 cup of powdered sugar, sifted.
A capful of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Milk

Mix the first three ingredients together.  Add milk, teaspoon by teaspoon until all of the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is smooth.

Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let the glaze set, an hour or 2.

Then it is time to enjoy! Have one (or 4) with a cup of warm cider, or tea. Don’t forget to bring a plate across the street to the neighbors!  I brought a plate of these and some biscotti for a housewarming gift- I am looking forward to hearing what she thought! 

I wish you a safe and fantastic Halloween!
Don’t forget to take pictures of your cool costumes!

* Originally Published 10/25/2011 on TBnewswatch.com