Ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon allspice,1 teaspoon baking powder,1 teaspoon baking soda,1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer,1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,4 tablespoons Earth Balance Margarine, room temperature,1 1/4 teaspoons blackstrap molasses,1 teaspoon Nutmeg,3/4 cup plus 1 TB pumpkin puree,2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (¼ of an 8 oz. package), room temperature,1 dash salt,2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla soy milk,1 1/2 cups sugar,2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour,1 teaspoon vanilla extract,1/4 cup vegetable shortening,2 cups to 2 & ½ powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Cookie Method:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper (or just cook one sheet at a time).Cream together shortening and sugar in stand mixer.Beat in molasses and vanilla until well combined.Blend in the pumpkin puree. The shortening will likely still leave tiny chunks and that is okay.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl, then slowly add it to the pumpkin mixture. Beat until well combined and pretty stiff.Scoop out onto cookie sheets at least an inch or so apart. Wet your fingers with a little water, then press the cookies down to about 1/2 inch thickness. This helps keep them from getting too tall.
- Bake on middle rack about 12 minutes, but possibly longer. Use a toothpick to check the doneness. As soon as you remove them from the oven, slide the cookies onto a cooling rack to stop them from cooking more or getting crunchy on the bottom.Frosting Method:Blend all ingredients together until nice and smooth. If it isn’t thick enough, add more powdered sugar a few TB at a time until you reach a thick, yet smooth consistency.Wait until the cookies are nice and cooled before frosting otherwise the frosting will melt and drip off the cookies.
- Let frosted cookies sit uncovered for about 30 minutes to help the frosting set. Then cover with plastic wrap to keep the cookies moist.
