Pumpkin Surprise Cookies!

 From one of our Favs - Williams and Sonoma
1. Make the cookie dough. Make a simple sugar cookie dough that’s easy to roll and bakes into crisp cookies, rather than soft and chewy ones. “You want a cookie that will hold its shape and not spread when baked,” says our Test Kitchen Cook Melissa Stewart.

2. Cut out the cookies. If you’re making surprise cookies, you’ll need three cutouts for each finished cookie. First, cut out the three cookies, then press down on two of them to create a decorative imprint (we have a bat, skull and jack-o’-lantern). For the third cookie, turn the cutter upside down and use the plunger to cut out a hole in the center of the cookie.

If you’re making a Linzer-style cookie, you’ll need two cutouts for each finished cookie. Press the imprint into one of the cutouts, and plunge a hole in the center of the other.

3. Bake the cookies. Bake all of the cookie shapes, making sure to space them an inch apart. They should be golden brown around the edges; see the recipe below for timing. Cool on a wire rack.

4. Assemble & enjoy! Once the cookies are cool, use royal icing to assemble them. Fill a pastry bag with the icing and, using a small tip, pipe the icing along the edges of the cookies to adhere them. For the surprise cookies, stick the cookie with the hole in the center in between two imprinted cookies. For Linzer-style cookies, stick a cookie with the hole in the center on a single imprinted cookie.