Pumpkin-Shaped Molasses Spice Cookies

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for parchment and dough
• 2 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup molasses

Details

Servings 48
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, combine hot water and rum. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. In a third bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add rum mixture. Beat well, scraping down sides of bowl. (Batter will look broken.) On low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of molasses. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat until smooth. Divide dough into quarters; wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze 1 hour.

On a very generously floured piece of parchment, generously flour top of 1 piece of dough. Roll out a scant 1/4 inch thick, reflouring as needed. Slide dough on parchment onto a baking sheet. Freeze until firm. Cut with a 3-inch pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter; transfer shapes to a clean parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Reroll and cut scraps once. Repeat with remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a small paring knife, cut a wide arc out of one side of each pumpkin. Bake until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks. Cookies can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days.