Pumpkin Cookie Pizza

Pumpkin Cookie Pizza

1 (18-oz.) roll refrigerated sugar OR chocolate chip cookie dough

Vanilla Butter Cream Icing (see recipe for it below)

Assorted candies for decorating and making pumpkin face

Slightly soften cookie dough (do in 30-second intervals in microwave oven if using straight from fridge).

Cut dough roll in 3 pieces and place in a 12-inch pumpkin-shaped cookie pan or 12-inch pizza pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Press dough (with fingers) evenly in pan. Smooth top with table knife.

Bake in preheated 375° F. oven 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Dough spreads during baking, so if using a pumpkin-shaped pan, every 5 to 7 minutes during baking, open oven and, with a table knife, press dough down around edges back into pan (this is for easy removal of cookie after baking.)

Cool in pan on rack 10 to 15 minutes. Then turn pan over to release cookie and cool completely on a serving plate or thick piece of cardboard cut to fit cookie shape and covered with foil. (If using a pizza pan, it’s not necessary to remove cookie; simply cool and decorate.)

Spread cool cookie with Vanilla Butter Cream Icing tinted with orange paste food coloring. With candies, make a pumpkin face atop orange frosting and make stem. Using a pastry tube and tip, pipe white icing border around edges of pumpkin.

Cut cookie pizza into pieces or wedges to serve. (If not serving cookie within 2 hours of frosting, keep refrigerated until an hour before serving.)

Makes about 10 to 12 pieces or wedges.

Vanilla Butter Cream Icing:

In a large mixer bowl with an electric mixer, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature, 4 cups powdered sugar, dash salt, 1 tablespoons vanilla, 3 to 4 teaspoons orange extract and 4 tablespoons whipping cream OR milk until light and fluffy. Remove one-half of icing; tint remaining icing orange with orange paste food coloring. Use immediately. Refrigerate any leftover icing. (Makes about 4 cups icing.)