Pat down the pumpkin with clean paper towels to soak up any extra moisture. You don't have to squeeze it dry. You can also do this in advance (keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours).

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line your baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a big bowl. Set that aside for now.

Grab your handheld or electric mixer. Cream the unsalted butter and sugars until smooth (around 2 minutes at medium speed). Mix in the egg and keep beating at high speed (about 1 minute). Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in.

Add the vanilla, maple syrup, and our blotted pumpkin. Mix it all at high speed until it's well combined, even if it looks a bit curdled.

Add your dry ingredients (from Step 3) to the wet ones (Step 5). Give it a good mix at low mixer speed until it's all combined. The dough should be sticky and thick.

Grab 1 ½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie and plop them onto your prepared baking sheets. Space them about 3 to 3.5 inches apart.

Let them bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges look set (but the centers still seem soft).

Take them out and let them cool on the baking sheet (about 5 minutes), then move them to a rack to chill completely. It would be even better to let them cool for the whole day.

Icing (Optional). Beat some cream cheese at medium-high until smooth. Toss in the unsalted butter and give it a good mix. Add maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and beat it at low. Taste and add extra cinnamon if you like.

Dip the cookies into the icing or use a knife to spread the icing around. Enjoy!