Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2

In a large bowl, cream 1 cup of granulated sugar with butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and molasses and blend well.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Blend well.

Step 4

Fill a shallow bowl with granulated sugar. Using a tablespoon, scoop enough dough out to make a 1 to 1 1/2 inch round ball. Roll the dough between your hands to make a ball and then roll it in the granulated sugar.

Step 5

Arrange the dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave enough room between dough balls to allow for the cookies to spread while baking.

Step 6

Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.

Step 7

While the cookies cool, make the icing. Combine the powdered sugar with water, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well until smooth. If the icing seems too thick, add a little more water, just a little at a time. The consistency of the icing should less firm than cake frosting, but thicker than a glaze.

Step 8

Drizzle the icing over the cookies or put the icing in a baggie, snip the corner off, and pipe the icing in zigzags over the cookies.

Step 9

Allow time for the icing to dry before storing it in an air-tight container or cookies jar.