Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling:

Line a small tray with baking parchment, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.

In a mixing bowl, whisk cream cheese and pumpkin purée until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until well combined.

Witrh a teaspoon, spoon the pumpkin cream cheese filling onto prepared tray. You should have a total of twelve (12) equally-sized dollops of cream cheese. Freeze until ready to use.

Cookie Dough:

In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add pumpkin purée and vanilla bean paste and mix on low speed until well combined.

Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, or overnight.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

With your hands or a small cookie scoop, divide dough into twenty four (24) equally-sized balls.

Portion out twelve (12) balls, and use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each.

Place one frozen cream cheese dollop in each thumbprint indentation.

Cover cream cheese dollops with a second ball of dough. With your hands, roll the top and bottom dough pieces together, completely covering the cream cheese filling. Arrange on prepared tray. Freeze 10 minutes.

Roll each ball in Demerara sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 13-16 minutes, or until puffy and lightly golden brown.

Cool on tray for 5-10 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spiced pumpkin cream cheese cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftover pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.