Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Are you sick of pumpkin yet? No, of course you aren't, because �pumpkin season� is just beginning. How exciting! That's right, folks, autumn is quickly approaching and what better represents autumn than the pumpkin? Forget about all the leaves you have to rake and the 101 outdoor jobs that need to be done before winter gets here in the blink of an eye, come inside and bake these delicious Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies. This recipe is shared by Ashley on �Wishes 'n' Dishes� and is adapted from food blog �Lauren's Latest�. This really is autumn pumpkin cookie baking at its finest.

While the pumpkin puree could be made from scratch, let's face it: who has time for that? This recipe calls for a half a cup of pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin) which makes cookie creation much quicker and easier. Interestingly, canned pumpkin puree, rather than being made from the pumpkins we buy for Halloween jack-o'-lanterns or for Thanksgiving displays, are usually made from different types of winter squash (of which pumpkins are a cultivar).

I'd like to take this opportunity to share a few pumpkin facts to (hopefully) make you love pumpkins as much as I do: The word originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for �large melon�. Pumpkins have been cultivated dating back to between 7,000 and 5,500 BC, with seeds dating to that era found in Mexico. Of the seven continents, Antarctica is the only continent on which pumpkins cannot grow. The largest producers of pumpkins include the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and China. Enthusiast farmers, since the early 19th century, have been growing giant pumpkins. The world's largest pumpkin grew to 2032lbs. (Can you imagine how many cans of pumpkin filling that would make, at 15 ounces per can?) One more interesting fact, because I'm just full of them: while this recipe calls for �pumpkin pie spice� (which, I'll be honest, I didn't even know existed), you can make your own from a blend of 2 parts ground nutmeg, and 1 parts ground cloves, ginger, allspice and cinnamon. If you're an avid baker, you'll likely have all of these spices already. If you're like me, you can pick up �pumpkin pie spice� the next time you're shopping... which is great timing, since, if you're like me, you'll also need to buy a can of pumpkin puree!

But back to more important things. Cookies. Delicious Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies, to be exact. This recipe is so easy. The author does note that the pumpkin taste in this recipe is subtle, so if you like or even love the taste of pumpkin, you can add a little more than the � cup that this cookie recipe calls for. And don't forget the most important part (that is, aside from the pumpkin): the glaze. Don't skip this step! You'll be sorry if you do. These cookies will stay soft for days, if they last that long... and if they don't, you may have to bake another batch because they're just that good!