Chocolate Spritz Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Icing

Disclosure: I wrote this post as a part of OXO’s Bake a Difference for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (#OXOGoodCookies) campaign. I received no compensation for this post, but was given OXO products to use to make this recipe.

My best friend is about to have her first baby. It blows my mind, because um…wasn’t college last week? Not really, but time is just flying by. My husband and I want to have kids some day, but oh man, I sometimes still feel like I’m too young for this. When did I reach my 30s? Weird.

Anyway, I’m super thrilled for her and her husband. I can’t wait to meet their sweet little baby and spoil him/her rotten with random craft-y things. 😛

I have been in a major cooking mood this past week, which means fall is really around the corner. I rarely cook in the summer, and if I do, it’s slow cooker meals, because I don’t want to heat things up in the house when it’s 100+ heat index outside (kitchen slacker). So, now my kitchen is about to be crazy haha! I made these chocolate spritz cookies for coworkers, and then two pans of chicken enchiladas (one for us and one for my friend/her husband, just so they have one less thing to worry about when prepping for baby). 🙂

These chocolate spritz cookies are very simple to throw together. It’s not fussy…just one bowl needed, and the dough comes together in no time! I got this recipe off of OXO’s recipe book, but decided to add my own little fall twist by icing the cookies with pumpkin spice peanut butter icing. Perfect combination for the fall! I used OXO’s cookie press to make them, and I was especially excited to use the fleur de lis disk, since it’s football season. (Yay Saints!)

I made these cookies to Bake a Difference with OXO for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This fall, keep your eyes peeled for certain OXO products with this sticker on the tag.

(Image courtesy of OXO, used with their permission.)

For every stickered item sold, OXO will donate 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer research as part of its $100,000* pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Look for specially marked OXO products at participating retailers in September.

* In 2014, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through specially marked baking tools, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.

If you’re looking to purchase some new kitchen products very soon, it’s the perfect time to bake a difference, especially with the holidays coming up!

Chocolate Spritz Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Icing
Source: cookies from OXO and icing is adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 For the icing:

• 1 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 tbsp. whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set aside two un-greased baking sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and salt together, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, and add the vanilla extract and egg into the bowl, mixing on low.
3. Slowly add in the flour and cocoa powder, beating until the mixture is well mixed.
4. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown on the edges.
5. To make the icing, whisk the peanut butter, pumpkin pie spice, milk and vanilla extract together in a bowl until well mixed. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until there are no clumps in the icing. It will be a thin icing.
6. Once the cookies have cooled, place them close together on a cooling rack and using a fork, drizzle the tops of the cookies with the glaze. If you’d like, you can add sprinkles on top right after icing them. Enjoy!