Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup (room temperature) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
4 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, molasses and pumpkin. Mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing flour last.

Chill 3 -4 hours.

Roll out and cut into desired shapes. You can add more flour at this point if needed.

Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes.

This is a soft, fluffy cookie.

* I did make these again with a just bit more than a 1/3 cup molasses, then a blob of applesauce and spoonful of plain yogurt (to equal 1/2 cup). It was the softest they have ever turned out.

These are also fun to decorate.