Pumpkin Gingersnaps

​With Halloween only 1 day away, my house is buzzing with excitement.  Even Mia has been getting into the spirit of Halloween by wearing her costume around the house.  I made her 2 costumes last week - a cow costume for Halloween and a hooded red jacket for Christmas.  (Yes, I think I have too much time on my hands.)  

​Don't be surprised if those picture end up on our Christmas card.  This is what happens when my kids get too old for me to make their Halloween costumes anymore.   Believe it or not, Mia LOVES her costumes and she wears them as much as I will let her.  (Which I realize is not normal dog behavior.)

Tomorrow, some of the neighbors are coming over for a chili dinner before the trick or treating begins so I've been busy making the "treats" for our little dinner.  I found this recipe for Pumpkin Gingersnaps on Twopeasandtheirpod.com.  (I don't know why I didn't think of the idea of combining these two Fall flavors into one delicious cookie.)     

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies
½ cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pure pumpkin (I used Libby's canned pumpkin)
¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

​Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth.

​Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

​Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.

​

​Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days. 

Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

​Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

​I put these cookies in my freezer to save for tomorrow night's party.  I think I am just as excited about Halloween as the kids (and the dog) are.  

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe