Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

02Nov09

Now that daylight savings time has kicked in and I have to start using my headlights on the drive home, it seems that the weather has finally turned. Hello, fall. Welcome to my kitchen. And let me introduce you to a cookie that captures the essence of the season. Everything I love about pumpkin and pecan pies is fused into a portable little morsel that’s made just that much better by mixing brown butter into the icing. Essentially, it’s pumpkin pie to-go.

A. and his colleagues have been working so hard lately that I wanted to send them a little holiday cheer. The feedback included phrases such as: “When I take over the world, I’ve decided you and your wife can live,” “This is freaking* (since this is a family show, you can use your imagination) good,” and “When you told me your wife was bringing cookies, it felt like Christmas morning.” I think the cookies went over well.

The texture of these cookies is similar to a muffin top, making me think they would be ideal for mini cupcakes (in case any of you are interested in trying variations). They’re soft, so don’t expect a chocolate chip cookie-like texture when you bite in. The original recipe called it a day with the frosting, but I added pecans because I think an added crunch is the perfect finishing touch.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

The batter will look curdled before adding the flour, but don’t worry, it will blend smoothly when all of the ingredients are incorporated. For the frosting, be sure to have extra confectioner’s sugar on hand in case it needs to be thickened (and don’t forget to sift!). Add it in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached. The icing should set well and not be runny.

Makes about 6 dozen

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

FOR THE COOKIES

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE ICING

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (plus more, as needed)

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.
3. Transfer spoonfuls of batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. (I used a round ice cream scoop for size consistency.)
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.
5. Make icing: Put confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners’ sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie, then top with a few chopped pecans. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

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