Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

10/27/2021

These pumpkin cookies with browned butter glaze are a fall family favorite. Soft pumpkin cookies with a caramelized sweet glaze finished with a pecan on top are simply delicious. Add them to your fall baking lineup and the dessert table this Thanksgiving.

My students used to make these in my foods classes and they always loved them. And that was before I knew about the merits of browned butter icing and how it takes these cookies from really good to rock your world amazing!

To make browned butter, you simply melt the butter on the stovetop until it turns a light brown color and smells fragrant with a caramely slightly nutty scent. The cookies are not that sweet on their own so the sweet caramely buttery icing compliments them well.

Enjoy these perfect little fall confectionary gems!

Pumpkin Cookies:

Mix first:
   1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

Mix in next:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 8 to 11 minutes. Let cool, then glaze tops of cookies.

Browned Butter Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

Heat butter on stove over medium heat until browned. You will smell a caramely, slightly nutty scent when it is ready. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla, then milk until smooth.

Glaze cookies after they have cooled a few minutes. Top each cookie with a pecan.

The glaze will harden quickly, so don’t make the glaze until after all of the cookies have baked.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Did you know you can make homemade pumpkin puree from pie pumpkins?
homemade pumpkin puree

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