Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies

I love a good cut out recipe and I am addicted to pumpkin spice, so this pulls the best of both together beautifully. You can ice these with my royal icing in almond or vanilla flavoring found here OR use my cream cheese frosting recipe for these as well for the ultimate cookie!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup, lightly packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup pure pumpkin (canned, I use Libby's) - you can also use pumpkin pie filling to amp up the spice flavoring profile

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp all-spice

• 5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt
  

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together on low to medium speed. If you are using something like a KitchenAid, use the paddle attachment. Mix until thoroughly incorporated - for about one minute. Be careful not to over mix the dough because that also causes spreading. The more you mix, the more air you add in for a lighter, fluffier cookie - not ideal for cutting. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more.

2. Add pumpkin, vanilla extract and eggs, mixing until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.

3. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl.

4. Cover your bowl edges with kitchen towels (or paper towels) so the flour doesn't fly up and all over the place when you turn the mixer on.

5. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Check the dough mixing; when it clumps around the paddle attachment the dough is ready. Don't over mix the dough here or it can get too tough to work with.

6. Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper. It may seem a little stickier (at least it was for me).

7. Place on a baking sheet and into the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer the better. Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

8. Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 1 hour to chill again. They will then hold their shape better when baked.

9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or just until the edges become golden brown. If your whole cookie is golden brown you may have over cooked them. The baking time will depend on the size of your cool.

10. Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

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