It’s amazing where trying to re-organize your pantry will lead you. Pulling everything out made me realize I still have three cans of pumpkin that I had to do something with. So I turned to an old favorite recipe, pumpkin gingerbread thumbprint cookies.
This recipe first appeared on the blog in 2012 — oh my goodness I can’t believe I’ve been doing this so long! I created these cookies back when I had party kits in a local store and I was taking something homemade to a meeting of all the store’s vendors.
Later, I submitted the recipe to Taste of Home for possible inclusion in a their Taste of Home Christmas cookbook. I was absolutely thrilled when they accepted my recipe and even made a professional photo of it. How exciting to be published!!
So I thought it was time to refresh my blog photos and try out the recipe again. These are just as delicious as I remembered and we enjoyed sharing them with friends and neighbors. They’re also great for a cookie exchange because they come together so quickly. Just double the recipe and you’ll have a few dozen in no time. This also is an easy recipe for kids to help with. Put them in charge of unwrapping all the Hershey Kisses before you start everything else.
In a large bowl, combine the gingerbread cookie mix, hot water, and melted butter. Then add your pumpkin and stir to combine.
In a small bowl, mix flour and pumpkin pie spice, then add that gradually to your pumpkin gingerbread mix.
With lightly floured hands, form 1 inch balls. Then flour your thumb and make thumb prints in each cookie.
Bake at 375 for about eight minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press down a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Extra flour
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix
- 1 cup Canned pumpkin (buy the 15 oz. size can)
- 2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 16 oz bag Hershey’s Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Unwrap your Hershey Kisses. (This is a great job for your kids.)
- Melt your butter.
- Combine the cookie mix, hot water, and melted butter.
- Add one cup pumpkin and combine.
- Mix flour and pumpkin pie spice.
- Gradually add flour and spice mixture to pumpkin mixture. Stir to combine.
- Scoop enough batter to form 1-inch ball. Lightly flour your hands and roll into balls.
- Lightly flour your thumb and press into the center of each batter ball.
- Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and immediately insert the Hershey Kisses into the thumbprint indentation in each cookie.
- Remove to cooling rack. When they have completely cooled, store cookies in an airtight container.
I hope you enjoy these cookies this holiday season as much as we did!
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