Pumpkin Molasses Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Slowly melt shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Combine cooled shortening with brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, molasses, and egg; mix well.
• Mix flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl until well blended. Add to the moist ingredients and use your hands to gently push the mixture together, similar to kneading. Dough will be quite crumbly; do not add any liquids. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets with butter. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small, shallow bowl.
• Work about 1 tablespoon chilled dough at a time and roll into a ball. Lightly roll balls into sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 9 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pepper.
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, 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. If flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, mix the last of the dry ingredients by hand to avoid over beating. 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, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough is sticky, so the longer time it can chill the easier it is to work with.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Put the sugar in a small bowl. Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Roll the balls in the sugar and use a the bottom of a glass to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to cookie sheets. Do not over crowd.
• Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12-14 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.