Bon Appetite - A Weekend Treat: PUMPKIN COOKIES

This is the time of the year when everyone thinks autumn and the harvest season as leaves change from green to gold, vermillion, and orange. It's the time of pumpkins-- pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream and coffee. . .and pumpkin cookies with that distinctive cinnamon flavor. Here's a recipe for moist, sweet pumpkin cookies with a simple confectioner's sugar glaze.

PUMPKIN COOKIES

1 cup canned pumpkin                                               

1 cup sugar

½ cup shortening or salad oil

1 egg beaten

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup nuts - optional

1 cup chocolate chips – optional

Combine pumpkin, sugar, shortening and egg. Shift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together; add to pumpkin mixture alternately with soda dissolved in milk. Add vanilla—and if desired: nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. Yield: 4 dozen

Glaze: If you desire a glaze, use a simple confectioner's sugar glaze with a dash of vanilla and enough hot milk added to make it spreadable.