Pumpkin Gingersnaps

Seriously one of the best cookies I've ever had. Ever.

I got this recipe for Pumpkin Gingersnaps from Two Peas and their Pod, which is such a great blog. Major props on these cookies. The balance of spices was perfect. I love a flavorful cookie, and this one was bursting with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Now, I've been trying desperately to use up three sticks of Crisco that I bought I don't know when. I think they've made two moves with us now? Man, I hope that's not true. But even if it is, that expiration date has not yet hit! So anyway, the point is that I chose to substitute Crisco in for the butter. Next time, baby, butter. Is it possible these cookies could be better?

Pumpkin Gingersnaps

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (for the love of god I can't wait to use butter next time)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling. for serious pumpkin)
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 1/3 c flour
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt

I'm not gonna lie. I heap those spoons of spices, especially the cinnamon. I would make a joke about a nest of spicery here, but that's just disgusting. So I'll keep it to myself.

Anyhow, I got out Wilbur "Splorge" Plantagenet (that's my mixer. Yes, I name my appliances.) and creamed together the fake-o butter and sugar for a few minutes till it was super creamy. I paused the Splorge - dumped in a scant 1/2 cup of pumpkin (end of the can. sad!), 1/4 cup molasses, and the egg. And the vanilla. Don't forget that. And I never measure vanilla. I just pour! And then another dollop.

While Wilbur continues to splorge, I mixed up the dry ingredients in another bowl, then dumped that into the mixer as well. Starting to look and smell good. And I definitely had a taste, raw egg be damned. I'm a bad example. What can I say?

Then I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge while I made dinner. And only now did I think to get out my camera (oh my, he needs a name!) and start snapping some pictures.

Preheat oven to 350 .... now! I got a small bowl and filled it with sugar for rolling the cookies in. Grease a baking sheet (or two) and get to rolling those cookies. Bigger than a jawbreaker. Smaller than hackey-sack. That's good.

Roll it in between your palms, then into the sugar. 

Don't touch my dough balls!

 I baked for 10 minutes (switching racks at 5 minutes) and they were perfect!

I think I was supposed to let them cook on the tray for a few minutes before switching to the rack, but I had another batch of cookies to get in the oven. Straight to the rack they went, but not before a quality check. DELICIOUS!

A little crispy on the outside, cakey on the inside. And the hint of salt brought out all the flavors beautifully. So good! But cookies are only for mommies and daddies, and not for Pippins and Guses, no matter how cute they are.

We enjoyed our cookies with some decaf coffee. But they would be perfect with a glass of (insert preferred kind of milk here).