Sugar Spice Cookies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Sugar Topping with Spices
01 -
1 tablespoon white sugar
02 -
A small pinch of nutmeg (ground)
03 -
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
04 -
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
→ Pumpkin Spice Cookies
05 -
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 -
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons [265 g] all-purpose flour (measured accurately)
07 -
1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
08 -
1 teaspoon baking soda
09 -
1/4 teaspoon ginger (ground)
10 -
1/4 teaspoon cloves (ground)
11 -
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 -
A small pinch of nutmeg (ground)
13 -
1/4 cup [50 g] white sugar
14 -
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
15 -
1 cup [226 g] unsalted butter
16 -
1 cup [200 g] packed dark brown sugar
17 -
1/3 cup [80 g] pumpkin purée, plain (not the flavored pie mix)
18 -
1 egg yolk, brought to room temperature
19 -
1 tablespoon molasses (not blackstrap)
→ Frosting with Brown Butter and Cream Cheese
20 -
1 teaspoon vanilla
21 -
6 tablespoons [85 g] unsalted butter
22 -
4 oz [115 g] cream cheese, softened
23 -
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
24 -
2 1/4 cups [270 g] powdered sugar (sifted)
# Instructions:
01 -
Grab a medium bowl and whisk together the flour, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set the mixture aside for later.
02 -
On medium-high heat, melt butter in a medium pot while stirring now and then. When it stops bubbling and has golden-brown flecks at the bottom, take it off the heat. Pour it into a bowl safe for heat and cool for 25 minutes, but don’t let it solidify.
03 -
Set your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line up two baking trays with parchment paper. In your mixer, whip up the cooled browned butter along with the sugars on medium speed for about a minute. Add the egg yolk, pumpkin, vanilla, and molasses, then mix until it all comes together. Scrape down the sides, toss in the dry ingredients, and mix again—stop once it’s just combined.
04 -
Scoop out dough, about 3 tablespoons worth for each cookie. Roll them in the spiced sugar topping mix and line them up on the prepared trays, leaving a good 3-inch gap between each one.
05 -
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the edges firm up but the centers stay soft. Let them rest on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool down all the way.
06 -
Brown the butter the same way as before and let it reach room temperature. Blend it with the softened cream cheese using a mixer until it looks creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar along with the vanilla and salt, mixing until the frosting is light and fluffy.
07 -
Spread or pipe some frosting onto the flat side of one cookie, then press another cookie gently on top to make a sandwich. Keep going until you’ve paired them all up. Store them in the fridge to keep fresh.
# Notes:
01 -
Put cookie sandwiches in an airtight container and keep them chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days.
02 -
You can freeze the frosting and cookies separately if you want them to last longer.