Pumpkin Patch Cookies

I am seriously in love with pumpkin. There are so many fun ways to cook with it! These cookies are super easy......you can leave off the fancy dollop of cream cheese frosting and the cute chocolate pumpkin and they are still taste delicious. This recipe makes about 60 cookies.

Pumpkin Patch Cookies
2 boxes spice cake mix1 large can pumpkin1 12 oz bag milk chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting (the canned stuff does not even compare)
1 bar softened cream cheese1/4 C butter softened (don't even think about margarine here)3 C powdered sugar
Chocolate Pumpkins
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips1/2 t Criscowax papercake decorating bag and small tip, or a ziploc bag.

1. To make the cute little chocolate pumpkins, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Only let them cook for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each cooking interval. You don't want the chocolate to burn! Stir in the Crisco when they are almost melted.

2. You can use a zip lock baggie to pipe the chocolate into pumpkins. Just snip (a very tiny snip) the edge of the bag after you have filled it with the chocolate. I used a cake decorating bag with a small tip...it gave me a lot more control over where the chocolate was going.

3. Place a sheet of wax paper onto a cookie sheet that will easily slide into you freezer. Draw the pumpkins onto the wax paper. Don't worry if they are lop sided, or not the same shape or size. That's the fun of drawing pumpkins, they don't have to match...they can all be different.

4. Slide the cookie sheet into the freezer so the chocolate will harden back up. The chocolate will harden really quickly, but keep them in there until your cookies have cooled and been frosted. The chocolate melts really fast as well, thus causing your cute pumpkins to loose their shape.

Cookies

1.In your mixer, or mixing bowl combine the cake mixes and canned pumpkin. Mix until ingredients are incorporated. Add the chocolate chips.

2. Drop cookie dough (about 2 inches each) with a spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

4. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

Frosting

1. Beat the cream cheese with hand held beaters, or in your Kitchen Aid mixer, until smooth. Add the butter and beat for about 1 minute.

2. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 3 minutes. You want it to be silky smooth.

3. After the cookies have cooled completely, pipe the frosting into the center of each cookie and gently place a chocolate pumpkin on top.