These soft cookies are like mini pumpkin cakes—and you're guaranteed to get a bit of sweet, brown-butter-flecked icing in every bite. A combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger flavor the moist pumpkin batter.
Ingredients
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2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 ¼ teaspoons salt
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1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
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¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
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2 ¼ cups packed light-brown sugar
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2 large eggs
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1 ½ cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)
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1 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk, plus more if needed
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a large coupler and a 1/2-inch plain round (such as Ateco #806); set aside.
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Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter and the brown sugar on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, 3/4 evaporated milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.
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Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. 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.
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Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Melt remaining 10 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
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Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add remaining 5 tablespoons evaporated milk and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir in more evaporated milk, a little at a time.
Cook's Notes
Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.