Mummy Pumpkin Cookies

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar with a few pulses. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal, being careful not to over-process. Drizzle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough begins to clump together (if needed, add the remaining water). If you lack a food processor, use two forks or a pastry blender. Gather the dough, divide it into two equal portions, shape each into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. For the filling, stir together softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the reduced pumpkin puree (made by pressing 1 cup of pumpkin puree between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture until you have 3/4 cup), along with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, stirring until combined. Cover and chill until ready to use.
3. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. On a floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a rectangle roughly 13 by 11 inches. If the edges crack, simply press them back together. Trim the edges to make them straight, then cut the dough into rectangles (the recipe yields nine 4×3-inch rectangles, but you can adjust the size). Roll out the second disk and cut it into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
5. Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Spoon a heaping 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin pie filling onto each rectangle, leaving a border around the edges uncoated. Brush the exposed edges with a mixture of lightly beaten egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Arrange the dough strips over the filling to mimic the look of a mummy, pressing the edges to seal and trimming any excess strips. Brush the strips with egg white and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
6. Bake the cookies until they turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.
7. Allow the mummies to cool, then stick candy eyes onto each one.