Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• Zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and butter and mix with a mixer. Mix in the maple syrup and eggs. Mix in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients into the cookie mix. Drop rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 12 minutes. To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese with a mixer. Mix in the powdered sugar. Mix in the milk and vanilla.  Fold in the lemon zest.   Once the cookies are cool, ice with frosting and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Recipe was derived in part from the Food Network.