Pumpkin Cookies

3 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or line it with parchment paper). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a regular bowl with a hand mixer), cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla on medium speed.

3. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Drop batter by tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet, and using the back of a spoon coated with cooking spray, gently press each cookie slightly (this will give the cookies a smoother look). Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets and frost with caramel frosting.

Caramel Frosting
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1. Melt all ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes until combined, stirring once or twice. Let mixture cool slightly and spread onto cookies.
(Hint: the frosting becomes more difficult to manage as it cools, so bake all the cookies first, and frost them all at once.)

2. Cookies keep, in an airtight container, 2-3 days. Cookies also freeze well, frosted or unfrosted.