Soft Gingerbread Pumpkin Spice Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice spice, and salt. Use a whisk, not a spatula! In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add oil and brown sugar. Beat until combined. Add egg, vanilla extract, and pudding mix. Beat to combine. Scrape the bottom of the mixer with a spatula to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons of black molasses and, with the mixer on medium speed, beat for 1 full minute. Lastly, add in the dry ingredient mix and beat until just combined.

Cover the bowl with the cookie dough in plastic wrap(or a plastic bag), and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar for rolling, cinnamon, and cardamom spice. Once the cookies are done chilling, take the bowl from the freezer and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out big balls of cookie dough-each about 1 1/2 Tablespoons in size. Drop them one by one in the rolling sugar/spice mix, coat them evenly, and place them on the baking sheets. Leave room in between because they will spread out! Using three fingers or the bottom of a small glass cup, press down on the cookie balls to flatten them slightly.

Place the sheets in the oven and set a timer for 8 minutes. Use a timer- if they bake much longer they won't be as soft and chewy! Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter. I'm sure you could freeze them fresh but I haven't tried- they soften up even more the next day, and never last longer than that! How I usually freeze-once they cool place them in a ziplock bag with plastic sheets between to stop them from sicking to each other, freeze, and thaw at room temperature.