Go Back
husseysands

Thanksgiving Cookies

Soft pumpkin spice cookies made with browned butter and finished with a brown butter maple glaze. These Thanksgiving cookies stay soft for 4 days, can be made ahead and frozen, and travel well. Makes 24 cookies.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 195
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Cookie Dough
  • 280 g / 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda · ½ tsp baking powder · ½ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon · ½ tsp ground nutmeg · ¼ tsp ground ginger · ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 170 g / ¾ cup unsalted butter to be browned
  • 200 g / 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 100 g / ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 120 g / ½ cup pure pumpkin puree not pie filling
  • 1 large egg yolk room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Brown Butter Maple Glaze
  • 180 g / 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 to 3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract · Pinch of salt

Equipment

  • 1 2 baking sheets

Method
 

  1. Brown the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously, until milk solids are golden-amber and it smells nutty — 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a large bowl, scraping all browned bits. Refrigerate 45 minutes (or freeze 15 minutes) until re-solidified to softened-butter consistency.
  2. Beat re-solidified brown butter with both sugars 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree; beat 1 minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat 30 seconds. Fold in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the dough surface. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, overnight for best flavor and texture.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Scoop 2-tablespoon portions, roll into balls, press lightly to ¾-inch thickness, and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets. Bake one sheet at a time 11 to 13 minutes. Edges should look set; centers should still look slightly glossy. Cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
  5. Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over fully cooled cookies or dip the top third into the glaze. Let set 20 to 30 minutes before stacking or storing.

Notes

  • Use pure pumpkin puree only — not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Brown butter must be re-solidified before beating — do not rush the cooling step.
  • The dough chill is not optional — unchilled dough spreads flat.
  • Pull cookies when centers still look slightly glossy and underdone — they finish on the hot pan.
  • Glaze on fully cooled cookies only — even slight warmth makes the glaze run.
  • Freeze dough balls up to 2 months; bake from frozen adding 2 to 3 minutes.