Rspec with cookies, testing authentication controller

I am trying use Rspec to test our authentication, this requires me to set a cookie and pass it in the header. when I inspect the headers the cookie is blank Any ideas why this is not working?

--- The Spec   it "should redirect to overview page if exists" do       get 'login'         request.session_options[:session_key].should == '_CRS_session_id'         request.session_options[:secret].should_not == nil         cookie = request.session_options[:session_key] + '=' + request.session_options[:secret]         headers = {          'cookie' => cookie,          'Referer' => 'http://localhost:3000/auth/login’,          'Content-Type' => 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'         }

        post('login', {:username => 'test', :password => 'password'}, headers)         puts response.headers["cookie"].inspect         puts request.inspect

        response.should redirect_to(controller => 'profiles', :action => 'overview')   end

-- Controller method for login   def login     if request.method == :post && !cookies['_CRS_session_id']       flash[:auth_error] = :cookies_off     elsif request.method == :post && params[:login_form]       username = params[:login_form][:username]       password = params[:login_form][:password]       ldap_authenticate(username, password)     end   end

--- HTTP RESPONSE

{"Status"=>"200 OK", "ETag"=>"\"4ff001373a428161bc75da425b5dc4be\"", "X-Runtime" =>"0.00010", "type"=>"text/html; charset=utf-8", "cookie"=>, "Cache-Control"=> "private, max-age=0, must-revalidate", "Content-Length"=>8140}

--- HTTP REQUEST

#<ActionController::TestRequest:0xf2d026c @session=#<ActionController::TestSessi on:0xf2c0a24 @attributes=nil, @session_id="", @saved_attributes={"cookie"=>"_CRS _session_id=2887ccde4594cb37332cce1c974962957cf9e102b38155067f175cefbc633e26547c b4e17c9710a71cf39288560d88a9b8b4b707610c9afddswer5530640", "Referer"=>"http: //localhost:3000/auth/login", "Content-Type"=>"application/x-www-form-urlencoded "}>, @path=nil, @accepts=nil, @user_agent="Rails Testing", @env={"REMOTE_ADDR"=> "0.0.0.0", "REQUEST_URI"=>"/auth/login", "SERVER_PORT"=>80, "REQUEST_METHOD"=>"P OST"}, @session_options={:session_key=>"_CRS_session_id", :secret=>"2887ccde45 94cb37332cce1c974962957cf9e102b38155067f175cefbc633e26547cb4e17c9710a71cf3928856 0d88a9b8b4b707610c9afddswer5530640"}, @cookies={}, @request_method=:post, @req uest_parameters={:username=>"test", :password=>"password"}, @request_uri=nil, @symb olized_path_parameters={:action=>"login", :controller=>"auth"}, @query_parameter s={"action"=>"login"}, @path_parameters={"action"=>"login", "controller"=>"auth" }, @content_type=nil, @parameters={"username"=>"test", "action"=>"login", "cont roller"=>"auth", "password"=>"password"}, @host="test.host"> ... I've been struggling with this for ages so any input will be greatly appreciated. I've also looked at mocks and could not get that to work. Kevin.