The jaw-droppingly amazing cookies Margaret and I made on Monday

Okay, background: this past weekend was Margaret's and my half-birthdays. (Yes, half-birthdays. I was 46 and a half, Margaret was 12 and a half. Really, it's not that complex.) Houston, God bless him, went to a shop in the nearest megamall we know of that imports various American (and British, although that's not really germane to this post) delicacies. He procured a big can of AMERICAN PUMPKIN as a component of our half-birthday gift extravaganza. Margaret instantly said, "Mom! Now we can make that recipe on Mugglenet!" Yes, the one for pumpkin cookies!!

They...were...astoundingly good. It's been a while since we had any pumpkin goodies, as we'd used up the cans of pumpkin our friends Kelly and Tim brought us some time ago. And, well, the stuff they sell here in Australia and refer to as "pumpkin" just...um...isn't. Not sure what it is, but it isn't pumpkin. So I, at least, was in severe pumpkin debt. Imagine my joy, then, to eat these remarkable cookies!

NOTES to those wishing to replicate this experience:

1. Only American pumpkin will do. Libby's brand, from the can, is absolutely fine. If you are not in America, there may be a store near you that wrings its profit from the tear-soaked hankies of homesick and lonely Americans, and you may find it there.
2. We added a half-teaspoon of allspice and a quarter-teaspoon each of nutmeg and cloves along with the cinnamon.
3. We also added about a quarter-cup of the pumpkin to the frosting, which was Margaret's idea, and it was inspired, I must say.

There is absolutely nothing like sitting down to a plateful of these cookies on a chilly, chilly day.