Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm beginning to think that my mom likes my joy of baking more than I do. It seems like any time she is attending or hosting an event, she readily agrees to bring a dessert, then casually asks if I would want to make the dessert for her. She knows I'll say yes (because I can't really turn down an opportunity to bake and try new recipes), and she ends up with something to contribute without any work on her end. Actually, I don't know why she wouldn't love this situation.

If I sound like I'm complaining, I'm not. Darrell and I don't really hang out in the social circles that do dinner parties and the such (although I would seriously love it if we did), so my dessert-making is often limited to recipes Darrell and I will be able to eat through before they spoil or things for the few and far between family events (or once-a-year Soup and Pie Supper at church). And, if it weren't for the potluck my parents are going to tonight, I may have never gotten around to trying out this recipe that I've had bookmarked for at least a year. I just wish I had tried them sooner--they are pretty darn sweet, but the flavors are super rich and they stay wonderfully moist.

Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
(delightfully borrowed from here)

Cookies:
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Icing:
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350*. In a large bowl, cream together the sugars and the butter. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg; stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing well. Stir in the chocolate chips and drop by rounded tablespoon full onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool before icing.

For the icing: Heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Heat until bubbling and thick. Cool ten minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup milk and then add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

My only issue with these cookies was that the icing never set well enough for me to be comfortable stacking them; I was too concerned that it would stick to the underside of the cookie on top of it (or to the wax paper if I put that between my rows). I did rush through the frosting a little bit though because I was in a hurry to get them to my mom's before it got too late, so that might have been part of the issue. And really, if you want to bake them to take someplace but are worried about the frosting making a mess, just leave it off! They certainly don't need the frosting, but I think it makes them look fancy unique, and the caramelized brown sugar is a nice flavor addition. Enjoy!