Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Sometimes the things I cook or bake are just meant to be. On the day after I made my Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal, I felt like baking something and thought a pumpkin cookie of some sort would be just the thing. I searched a number of recipes and finally found one that called for one cup of pumpkin puree, the exact amount I had left after the oatmeal. It was pumpkin destiny. Even more perfect was that I still had some Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting left in the fridge from my Apple Spice Cupcakes. I had a feeling that frosting would go very well with these pumpkin cookies.

So I scooped out a dozen balls of cookie dough just as is, with the intention of frosting them once cool. I then added some chocolate chips, about half a cup or so, to the rest of the dough to make some chocolate chip pumpkin cookies. Two different cookies, one base recipe. So quick and easy, and so delicious. The pumpkin makes the cookies very soft and moist. I hate the word "moist" but it's really the best word to describe these cookies! If kept in an airtight container, the cookies stay very soft and in fact get even softer over time. If you prefer a more dense cookie, I would probably just keep them on a plate wrapped in foil.

These cookies (and the frosting) freeze very well. I made the cookies over two weeks ago, and I am eating a frosted one as I type this. I let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes to thaw and it's just as delicious as it was the first night I made them.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients 
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or use 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips, optional (I would use a cup of chips if adding chocolate to the whole batch)

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter/sugar mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips, if using. Portion out onto cookie sheets. I used a two tablespoon cookie scoop and got about 30 cookies out of the recipe.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely. If adding frosting, wait until cookies are cool to do so.


Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
Recipe from My Kitchen Addiction

Ingredients

8 ounces (1 cup) brown butter

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of half and half

- See more at: http://www.mykitchenaddiction.com/2010/09/baking-with-brown-butter-wfmw/#sthash.UYdtR8OP.dpuf1 cup (two sticks) brown butter*

2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla 
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk (I needed slightly more to get it to the right consistency)

*To make brown butter, add two sticks of butter to a saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Allow butter to melt and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns an amber color and develops an almost-nutty fragrance. Keep a close eye on it - it can go from brown to burnt very quickly! Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Directions:
Pour the brown butter into the bowl of a standing mixer. Add cinnamon and vanilla and mix until combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until it is incorporated. Add the milk in as needed to allow the frosting to come to a smooth consistency suitable for spreading or piping.