Pumpkin Hermits

By sianshan

from One Smart Cookie by Julie Van Rosendaal

Notes:
- these are really good, wonderful soft texture (more like a cake than a cookie)
- smell a bit like gingerbread when they're baking
used Becel and they turned out fine

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or half all-purpose, half whole wheat
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup dried fruit: raisins, dried cranberries and/or chopped dried apricots, or a combination
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

350°F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, pumpkin, egg, molasses and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir by hand until almost combined; add raisins or other dried fruit and stir just until blended.

Drop large, rounded spoonfuls of dough 2” apart on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until just set — springy to the touch around the edges, but you still leave a slight dent if you touch them in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.