Description
Delightfully soft and spiced Iced Pumpkin Cookies perfect for fall and holiday seasons. These cookies feature a rich blend of warm spices with pumpkin puree for moisture and flavor, topped with a simple sweet icing to add a luscious finish. Browned butter deepens the flavor, while cinnamon, ginger, and allspice create a cozy aromatic treat ideal for sharing.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (Libby brand recommended)
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Brown the Butter: Place the butter sliced into pieces in a skillet over medium heat. Heat it for about 5 minutes until it melts, becomes foamy, then turns golden brown and smells nutty. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the browned butter into a bowl, then chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes to cool.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and kosher salt to evenly combine the spices and leavening agent.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled browned butter and sugar. Beat on high speed for 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat again on high speed for 1 minute until well combined. Then mix in the pumpkin puree just until incorporated, scraping down the bowl once.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Form and Sugar Coat Cookies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar on a plate. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls, roll each in the sugar to coat, and place on the baking sheet. Prepare 12 cookies per tray.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 12 to 13 minutes until the cookies puff up. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Prepare Icing: While cookies cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), mix powdered sugar, milk, and melted butter in a small bowl until thick icing forms. Adjust consistency with more sugar or milk as needed.
- Ice Cookies: Use a fork to drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies. Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes before serving.
- Store Cookies: Store iced cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving), or freeze un-iced cookies for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Using browned butter adds a nutty depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Chilling the dough while baking the first batch helps reduce cracking in the second batch but is optional.
- Libby brand pumpkin puree is recommended for consistent baking results.
- Roll cookies generously in granulated sugar for a lightly crisp exterior.
- Iced cookies freeze best without icing; add icing after thawing for best texture.
