Brown Angel Iced Sweet Potato Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely grated sweet potatoes
• 2 teaspoons orange zest, grated
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• 2 for the cookies: in a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. whisk together, with an electric mixer, the butter and sugar.
• 3 add the egg, molasses, butter extract, sweet potato and orange zest.
• 4 carefully fold dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with a rubber spatula.
• 5 stir in the pecans, if using.
• 6 drop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.
• 7 bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• 8 transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 9 decorate with cream cheese icing.
• 10 for the cream cheese icing: in a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated.
• 11 increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• 12 add the maple or vanilla extract, and mix on high speed until incorporated.
• 13 pipe the cream cheese frosting on cookies in any desired pattern with a piping bag or a plastic baggie with a hole cut at the corner.
• 14 you can also warm the frosting in a microwave for a few seconds until smooth and drizzle the frosting onto the cookies.