Pumpkin Spice Cutouts

Through all the years I’ve been baking, I’ve never come across a pumpkin cookie recipe that you can actually cut out with cookie cutters...until this one! Each bite tastes just like pumpkin pie—delicious!

PREP: 20 MIN. + CHILLING BAKE: 10 MIN./BATCH + COOLING MAKES: ABOUT 3 DOZEN

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie mix

1/4 cup molasses

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

ICING

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

3 to 4 Tbsp.

2% milk

Food coloring, optional

1. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin pie mix and molasses. In another bowl, whisk the next 6 ingredients; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate several hours, until firm enough to roll.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 21/2-in. pumpkinshaped cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For icing, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter and enough milk to reach spreading consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring. Decorate cookies as desired. 1 COOKIE 156 cal., 5g fat (2g sat. fat), 5mg chol., 94mg sod., 28g carb. (20g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g pro.