Cookies and Dip

Not chips and dip, cookies and dip.  Now that's my kind of combination!  I can't say enough good things about these cookies except that they are my favorite fall cookies.  I love the addition of a dip too.  And of course it's a pumpkin pie dip.  I know, I know 3 days in a row but I can't help it this time of year.

~The fall season = pumpkin inspired everything~

That's my equation and I'm sticking to it!  So bring on the hundreds of thousands of pumpkin recipes.  I just wish I had the time and the money to bake them all.  But if you're like me and you don't have tons of time, bake these cookies and serve them alongside this dip.  This dessert combination encompasses the fall season in one bite.

I've made pumpkin molasses cookies before on the blog but these are different.  Not better different, just different.  See for yourself and bake up a batch today.  Don't forget, no double dipping allowed, unless you're by yourself of course :)    

Soft Baked Ginger Cookies with Pumpkin Pie Dip

Source: My Kitchen Addiction 

• For the cookies
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C sugar or granulated sugar substitute
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C molasses
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour (or 1 1/4 C all-purpose and 1 C white whole wheat flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 C sugar, for rolling dough  
• For the Pumpkin Dip
• 4 oz 1/3 of the fat cream cheese
• 1 C canned pumpkin
• 1 C confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add in egg and beat until creamy. Beat in molasses and water until well-combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Dough will be stiff and you may need to finish combining ingredients using a wooden spoon.
4. Roll dough into 1 – inch balls. Roll dough in sugar to coat. Place dough onto baking sheet. Press dough to indent ball slightly.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies puff and edges start to turn light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. While cookies are cooling, begin preparing pumpkin dip.
7. Cream together cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves until creamy.
8. Store leftover cookies in an air-tight container and leftover dip in the refrigerator.