Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

 

I have a new [slight] obsession with ginger molasses cookies these days. The best I've had is from the Bracken Mountain Bakery in Brevard, NC. So, I'm trying out a bunch of these type spice cookies to see if I can come up with something comparable since I don't make it to NC too often! Thought these sounded tasty with the addition of pumpkin, and well- they were! They are soft, light and fluffy and full of flavor.

 

 INGREDIENTS:
2 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 Tbs butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

 DIRECTIONS:
-Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pepper.
-Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
-Add the brown sugar, molasses, and pumpkin puree and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
-Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more.
-Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. (You will have a very soft dough!)
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap.
-Freeze for at least 30 minutes. (The dough is sticky, so the longer time it can chill the easier it is to work with.)
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Put the white sugar in a small bowl.
-Working with one packet of dough at a time, roll the dough into walnut sized balls.
-Roll the balls in the sugar.
-Place balls on greased cookie sheets and press down on the cookies until they are about 1/2 inch thick.
-Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 8-9 minutes, or until the top feels set to the touch.
-Remove baking sheets from the oven.
-Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack.
-Repeat with second batch of dough.

SHOUT OUTS:
Recipe derived from www.mybakingaddiction.com.

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-Have some pumpkin puree left? Use it with one of these recipes: Pumpkin Pancakes, Enchiladas or Pumpkin Turkey Chili.
-I suggest keeping the cookies stored in an air-tight container in the fridge to keep them fresh.