Sugar Cookie Makeover

I'm a lucky mom. My son loves to bake and cook. With me. Whenever I start to get to work in the kitchen he comes running in and asks, "Mommy, do you need your little sous chef?"

(It's okay. You can sigh and say "Awww." I do every time.)

So when the sign-up sheet for my son's preschool Thanksgiving party went up, I immediately knew what I wanted to bring in: cookies. So my son could help me bake. And I knew exactly which cookies I wanted to make, too.

Now, many parents would get store-bought cookies or maybe the break-and-bake kind. In fact, I had the break-and-bake kind in my freezer. Trouble is, there are kids in his class with peanut allergies, and while those cookies may not have nuts, many of them are made in factories where there are peanuts. But that's okay, because I knew how to make sure my cookies were nut-free.

Pumpkin spice sugar cookies.

I had made these with my son last year, during the Halloween snowstorm, while listening to Christmas carols. A delightful mix of holidays and traditions. And these cookies were no less delightful. Sweet with a hint of spice. A wonderful holiday treat.

So if you're looking for a Thanksgiving treat, an alternative to the traditional pies, give these cookies a try.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Recipe from Food.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
  Icing:
• 1 cup powedered sugar
• 4 to 5 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 3 drops yellow food coloring

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add flour and baking soda; stir gently to mix; set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl, blend butter and powdered sugar together.
3. Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and egg; stir to combine.
4. Mix in the flour mixture; blend well.
5. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven on ungreased cookie sheets for about 8 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
8. Once cookies are cool, mix icing ingredients. Ice cookies and let set on a wire rack before storing.