Beat softened butter until it turns fluffy. Add sugar in parts, continue beating until you get soft fluffy mix.

Time for pumpkin puree to go in and beat well till all ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour vanilla extract, beat all until well combined.

If you prefer to add food color, now it goes in. Add just a drop or 2 of orange food color.

Add the spices along with salt and mix well.

Slowly add almond meal, continue beating on low speed until all the ingredients are mixed well.

Finally add plain flour in 3 parts and beat on low heat. Do not over beat the cookies mix.

Wrap the cookie dough in cling wrap and refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degree F.

Divide the dough into equal parts.

To shape the cookies into a pumpkin – Roll a part of cookie dough. Make a slight thumb impression in the middle of the cookies. Using a butter knife make equal positioned slits on the sides of the pumpkin(I made 8 slits). Press a whole almond at the center of the pumpkin shaped cookies. Repeat this for all the cookies dough.

Place pumpkin shaped cookies 1 inch apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cookies begin to turn golden and turns hard on the outside. If the almonds pop out, push them back in gently.

Brush generous amount of honey over the pumpkin. This gives a nice shine to the cookies.

Allow the cookies to sit on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Then place them over wire rack to cool completely.

Store in air tight container once completely cooled. The cookies can be stored in freezer too in air tight container.