Holiday Baking - Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

On Thanksgiving I was introduced to a wonderfully delicious cookie that I have been craving since I had them at that time.  I finally asked my friend, Leslie Smith, for the recipe and made the cookies today.  The original recipe can be found HERE but I will post the recipe here with the changes that I made due to the quantity of ingredients that I had on hand.  

Cookies:

2/3 C granulated sugar

2/3 C brown sugar

3/4 C vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 tsp baking soda

2/3 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and line cookie sheets with wax paper.  

2) Mix together the sugars, oil, pumpkin, egg and vanilla until smooth.  

3) Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg and mix through (dough will be more batter-like than stiff).  

4) Spoon out tablespoons of dough onto prepared cookie sheets into round cookies.

5) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes - until cookies are firm, but not overcooked (tops will be just barely starting to crack).  Remove from oven and cool completely.

6) Mix together filling:

Frosting:

2 oz (1/4 cup) margarine or butter

4 oz cream cheese

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp maple syrup (I just used store bought pancake syrup because that's what I had)

- Beat together butter and cream cheese, then add the powdered sugar.  Add the vanilla and syrup and mix until smooth.

7) Assemble cookies - by turning 1/2 of the cookies upside down:

Next add the filling either by piping or spreading with a knife or spoon:

Place the second half of the cookies on top of the first to make a cookie sandwich:

Then either refrigerate to allow the frosting to firm up a little bit, or just enjoy.

These cookies are really rich, but delicious.  The remind me a bit of the pumpkin rolls that my mom makes, they just don't take as long and they are easy enough that I very likely will make them again in the future.