Molasses Pumpkin Cookies

I hate the week after a vacation.  For an entire week, you think, well this time last week I was at the beach getting my tan/sunburn on.  Or this time last week I was watching seals play just off the shores of the Cape.  OR this time last week I was eating my 7th lobster roll and millionth clam cake.  Ahh…last week.

What can soothe my post-vacation melancholy?  Baking. Ever watch Grey’s Anatomy – the early seasons.  I am like Izzy.  I bake to think, I bake to remember, I bake to forget, I bake when I need …So today I am baking.  Because vacations are like the day after Christmas.  Kind of a let down.  So, today I am baking because I need a bit of a pick me up.

And yes, the memories from vacation will always be able to transport straight back to where I was, be it a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago.  Memories, I am grateful for them.

Let’s talk cookies.  Molasses Pumpkin cookies to be exact.  These are slightly sweet, full of pumpkin, with a slightly spicey bite from the molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Its like pumpkin pie in cookie form.  Awesome.  And instead of whipcream…well how about cream cheese frosting!?!  Double awesome.  Yeah, thats how I roll.  Baking molasses pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, while dreaming of sandy beaches, seals, and sunny afternoons.  Ahhh…last week.

Molasses Pumpkin Cookies 

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozzen

Adapted from Petite Kitchenesse

Cookies

• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 2 + 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp Nutmgeg
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar, plus extra for rolling.
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 + 1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat oven 350°F.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy.  Add both sugars, pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla until combined.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend until completely combined.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place extra sugar in a bowl.  Scoop out golf ball sizes of dough and roll into a ball, roll ball in extra sugar until well coated.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Leave plenty of room between each cookie incase of spreading.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  When done, remove from cookie sheet and place on wire cooling rack.  Let cool completely before icing.

While cookies are cooling, make the icing.  Beat cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.  Beat in confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until well combined.

Ice the cookies once they are cooled.

Enjoy!

I wanna go back…I need the beach!