Pumpkin Spice Cookie Delight

Depending on who you ask, October represents a number of things. If you ask my dad, October is the month in which we celebrate his birthday... all month... with decorated hats. :)

For me, October is the month in which my favorite holiday takes place and my favorite flavor becomes widely available in fanatic abundance. Naturally, I am referring to Halloween and Pumpkin Spice.

This year, rumors are running high that Starbucks is running low on the infamous and coveted Pumpkin Spice syrup that flavors their Pumpkin Spice Lattes — Fall's most popular flavor. If the unthinkable happens and your local Starbucks runs out of this seasonal favorite (a result of horribly bad planning on their part), you'll have to be prepared to either suffer through withdrawal or make your own Pumpkin Spice Syrup!

To accompany your favorite flavored latte, Hershey makes (white) chocolate Pumpkin Spice Kisses! Each morsel is made up of creamy white chocolate surrounded by spiced chocolate to capture all the best spices of fall — nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves. They're fantastic! I scouted out every CVS, Walgreens and grocery store for weeks before I finally found and bought a couple of bags. They didn't last a week before I worked them into a batch of cookies!

I also bought some season decorating supplies! (Expect more purely decorative props to appear in my photos — a Michaels Craft Store just opened up within walking distance of my apartment)

In case you're wondering — that is a bottle of wine standing in as a "decoration." I would say I don't advocate drinking alcohol while eating cookies, but... come on! Drink responsibly and choose a nice red to make the flavors really pop! ;-)

Pumpkin Spice Cookies (recipe adapted from Sprinkle Some Sunshine)
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• about 1 package Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, unwrap and freeze Hershey Kisses (frozen kisses wont melt as much when you press them into the cookies)
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar
• Add vanilla and eggs and beat until light and fluffy
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until just incorporated
• Use a teaspoon to make small balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes, remove from oven and wait one minute or immediately press a Hershey Kiss into the center of the cookie
• Cool completely on a cooling rack

Happy Baking and Best Month Ever!

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