The Legendary Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie

Every October I blend  the same cookie ingredients together, and have been doing so ever since I was a little girl.  My mother lovingly baked these cookies when I was a child, and I cherished every bite.  So it should come as no surprise that I made sure I had the recipe the day I moved out of my parents house.  I've shared these cookies with many friends, and every year I get requests for the recipe, or requests to send them by mail.  Now, even my 5 year old has come to expect this annual celebration of fall ingredients in cookie form.

These cookies have become more than a moment for a lesson in the science of baking, more than an opportunity to teach math or literacy, more than a chance to share what we love, and more than merely a beloved tradition, they've become legendary in our house.

The pumpkin cookie starts out as a combined bowl of...

In a separate bowl...

Alternate adding the sugar mixture and one 15 oz. can of pumpkin to the dry ingredients.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, drop 1/4 c. of dough for each cookie on a baking pan, and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Once the cookies have cooled, they are ready to be decorated as Jack O' Lanterns...

I'm not sure I could tell you what one thing makes these cookies so legendary.  Maybe it's the delicious smell when they are baked in the oven, maybe it's how good they taste, maybe it's how fun they are to decorate, maybe it's all the childhood memories that come with them, or maybe it's just all the butter!  Aidan loves them just because "they are yummy!"  Try them out for  yourself and let us know what you and your kids think!

Share how you've decorated our favorite fall cookies.  We always see something new different every year!

Do you have a legendary recipe in your family?

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