Pumpkin Cookie Tradition

Making Pumpkin Sugar Cookies was a
tradition from my childhood
that I am now happy to pass along to
my kiddos.

My mother would make several dozen
sugar cookies in the shape of pumpkins...

...and then we would decorate them
with orange and green icing.

As I was making the cookies myself,
all the smells brought me right back to my
childhood galley-style kitchen.

I love it.

The sugar cookie recipe we used
is from my mother's Betty Crocker cookbook:

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

Mix the following wet ingredients together
in a large bowl:

1 cup of softened butter
1 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Mix the following dry ingredients in a separate bowl:

2 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
until they are all blended.

Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for
at least 2 to 3 hours.
(I chilled ours overnight.)

When ready to bake the cookies,
preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out half of the dough at a time
to about 3/16 inch thickness.

Cut into whatever cookie cutter shapes that you would like.

Cook on sheets of parchment paper on cookie sheets
for 7 minutes.

Cool and then decorate!

(The icing I use to decorate the pumpkins with
is made from Half and Half, Powdered Sugar,
and Wilton Colored Paste.
I just keep adding and mixing ingredients until
I get the consistency of icing I would like.)

Now, for the FUN part!

We made cookies with...

...splats and swirls...

...polka dots and sprinkles...

... and funny faces!

The possibilities are endless,
including...

...a Wonder Mom and Super Dad duo.

Sugary family memories...

...in shades of orange and green.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................