Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies

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Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I liked the soft cakey texture of these cookies but decided to depart from the original recipe by putting the spices on the outside of the cookies rather than incorporated into the pumpkin flavored cookie dough. I think this helps the pumpkin flavor and gives a little extra texture to the outside of the cookies as well.

These are quite delicious all on their own but I do love pairing aromatic spices with chocolate so I also made half the batch sandwiched together with some easy chocolate ganache...scrumptious!

I'd never frozen these cookies before but did stick some in the freezer to test them They have been there for a week now and as of this morning they thawed well and the kids say they taste yummy, so I'll call that a success.

Soft Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Ganache Cookies

Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies - soft pumpkin cookies rolled in spiced sugar. Absolutely delicious with or without the chocolate ganache to sandwich them together.

Prep time: About 1 hour 10 minutes, including time to chill the dough.
Cook time: 10 minutes per tray
Total time: About 1 1/2 hours
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies or 1 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin puree; NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• FOR THE SPICED SUGAR
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
• 2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the oil, butter, sugar, icing sugar and vanilla for a few minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Mix in the pumpkin puree.
5. Slowly fold in the flour and baking powder mixture until a soft dough forms.
6. Chill the dough for at least an hour.
7. Mix together the 1/2 cup of sugar and all the spices.
8. Roll the dough in 1 1/4 inch balls, then roll them into the spiced sugar.
9. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and press down with the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten slightly.
10. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F for 8 - 10 minutes or until the cookies start to turn brown at the edges and spring back when pressed at the center.
11. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Sandwich together with a spoonful of chocolate ganache if desired.
12. To make the chocolate ganache simply melt together the whipping cream and chocolate in a double boiler being careful not to overheat it. Stir the whole time while the chocolate is melting and as soon as it is smoothly melted, remove it immediately from the heat.