Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup fresh pumpkin purée
• 1 egg
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out
• 2 cups icing sugar

Directions

To make perfect pumpkin purée:

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Cut a pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. Brush the cut sides with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the skin is easy to pierce with a knife, about 1 hour.

3 Remove from the oven and allow the pumpkins to cool completely. Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkins and place in a food processor; process until smooth. The pumpkin purée can be refrigerated for up to two days, or frozen for up to three weeks.


To make the cookies

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 To make the cookies, line three baking sheets with baking mats or parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

3 In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla bean seeds and beat until the mixture is creamy. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

4 Place tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly brown; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5 For the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the softened butter and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add the icing sugar until the mixture is thick. Spread 1 heaping tbsp of frosting between 2 pumpkin cookies to make sandwiches and serve.

Prep time: 30 minutes.
Cook time: 20 minutes.
Serving size: Makes 18 sandwiches.