Acorn Squash Cookies

A few days ago, I promised you a second acorn squash experiment. I'm sorry it took longer than expected to get the recipe figured out, baked, photo'd and posted. These cookies have a soft cake texture, and have a mild, buttery taste.  Alone these cookies are lightly sweet, they are wonderful with an orange glaze (see below), or they would make great Whoopie Sandwich Cookies (see cream cheese filling below). Both glaze and filling amounts are generous, and will probably have leftovers. (Cream cheese filling is great on toast.)

Half glazed (upper right), and half plain cookies.

Cookie Ingredients: 
• 1½ cup flour
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup acorn squash puree (app. I roasted & pureed 1 acorn squash- don't forget to reserve the seeds to toast for a snack)
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350°(app. 175°C*), line baking sheets with parchment.
Mix all dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture, until well combined.
Drop rounded Tbsp's of dough onto parchment, app 1" apart. Bake 10 or so minutes, until a toothpick inserted into cookies comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to cooling racks.


Glaze
• 1½ cups confectioners sugar
• 4 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• ½ tsp vanilla


Whisk together ingredients. Either drizzle over cookies, or dip cookies in glaze.


Cream cheese filling
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 8 oz cream cheese (room temp.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract


Cream butter, add cream cheese until well combined.  Add confectioners sugar and vanilla, mix until smooth. (Can be made in advance and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before spreading.)


*I use an online conversion chart and round up or down, as seems appropriate. Please adjust according to your judgement, and send me a message if you find an error. Thank you.