Tags: 12daysofchristmascookies Christmas cookies Holiday Sweet Tooth
DAY 5- Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Biscotti
DAY 6 – Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY 9 – Bourbon Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies
DAY 10 – Black Forest Crinkle Cookies
I get home sick regularly. I don’t miss my hometown in California very often, but I do miss my family something fierce. I miss having my sister and nieces down the road, I miss the smell of my parent’s house, and I miss just sitting around and chatting with everyone…we’re a talkative bunch!
My parents are coming to Virginia for Christmas and we couldn’t be more excited. I’ve got adventures and menus planned…it’s gonna be fun! But when they’re not here, I catch myself doing things that remind me of them. I light candles that smell like mom’s house, I watch shows I know my sister is watching, but more often than not, I end up baking one of my mom’s classic recipes. My house slowly starts smelling like mom’s and in the end, we get to enjoy a treat that reminds us all of “Grana”.
This pumpkin cookie recipe is a staple in my mom’s oven from October to January. Anyone who’s spent any time at my parents’ house during the holiday season has enjoyed one of these beauties. They’re light, fluffy, and filled to the brim with yummy pumpkin spice flavors.
But what really pushes these guys over the top is the BEAUTIFUL, browned butter frosting. If you follow my blog, you know I’m a sucker for browned butter…anything that involves browned butter is a winner in my book. These amazing pumpkin cookies get a hefty crown of browned butter frosting and HOLY COW…they are to die for!!
*Of course, my mom knows to keep a stack unfrosted for my sweet husband…who has an aversion to frosting (weirdo!!). So, naturally, I do the same for him in our kitchen…which just means more browned butter frosting for me!!
PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING
For the cookies:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
⅔ cup sugar
⅔ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs, room temperature
For the frosting:
⅓ cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsp milk
How To: Cookies
Preheat oven to 375°
In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure everything is well blended.
Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls on your baking sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
How To: Frosting
In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat until golden in color and nutty in smell. Stirring constantly!
**I like my butter good and browned, but if you want a weaker “browned butter” flavor, stop when your butter just turns light brown in color.
In a medium bowl, place powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Pour browned butter over powdered sugar mixture. Beat on low speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Gradually add just enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk to make frosting creamy and spreadable.
GENEROUSLY frost cookies.
