Pumpkin Gingersnaps

It's Minnesota.  It's March.  It's a snow day, of course.

This whole snow-day thing would be great if I hadn't gotten up and dressed and started driving before I got the call that school was cancelled.  

And it would be great if it weren't the end of the trimester and I wasn't freaking out about how to squeeze all of my lesson plans into the last few days with my students.  

And it would be great if this weren't our third snow day of the year and I wasn't worried about how and when we might have to make it up. 

Ok, rant over.  I wish I had one of these cookies to comfort me.  They're pumpkin...my favorite!  I think they would make me feel better right now.  Maybe just looking at a picture of them would do the trick...

 

...nope, no such luck.  I'm still crumpy.

Pumpkin Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds or until combined.  Add the pumpkin, molasses, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.  Refrigerate dough for at least one hour or up to 3 days.

3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4.  Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Fill a bowl with cold tap water, and dip hands in water (this will help sugar mixture stick to dough).  Shake off excess water.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls with moistened hands.  Roll balls in sugar mixture and place on prepared baking sheets.

5.  Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set and cookies look cracked.  Cool cookies on baking sheets for 3 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks. 

Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen