Pumpkin Pinwheels

• Cookies:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Mousse:
• 3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups well chilled heavy cream
• 3 teaspoons vanilla

Mousse: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften 1 minute. Whisk in yolks and sugar then set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook egg mixture, whisking constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees. Remove bowl from pan, and with an electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thickened, about 5 minutes. Beat in pumpkin and spices. Chill pumpkin mixture, covered, until cool but not set, about 1 hour. In a bowl with cleaned beaters, beat cream with vanilla until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly. Chill mousse about 3 hours, or up to 1 day, loosely cover after 3 hours. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in molasses, then eggs one at a time. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Beat into butter mixture in three additions. Chill dough for one hour. Shape batter into 1 inch balls, dip in sugar, and place on baking sheets. Flatten balls with the bottom of a sugar coated drinking glass and bake 8-9 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pans, then allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Spread 3 tablespoons of mousse on one cookie and top with another.