Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
For the Spiced Sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Brown the Butter
Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Reducing the heat to medium-low, continue to cook, stirring frequently as the butter foams and then clarifies.
The milk solids will sink to the bottom and begin to brown. You will know it’s ready when it smells like toasted nuts and is a deep golden brown.
Pour the browned butter into a separate bowl to stop the cooking process and let it cool until it is around ~90-95F.
This cooling step is important; if the butter is too hot, it will cook the egg yolk when you combine them.
Mix and Chill the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt.
In a larger bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Then, whisk in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until combined.
Switch to a silicone spatula and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.
Chilling the dough is critical for the final texture and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Roll and Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of pumpkin spice for the coating.
Take the chilled dough and roll it into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Roll each ball in the spiced sugar mixture until it is fully coated.
Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for ~10 minutes. The cookies will puff up and have cracks on the surface, but the center will still look slightly underdone.
Do not overbake them.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will set up as they cool.
Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Brown Butter
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
For the Spiced Sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Brown butter in saucepan over medium heat until deep golden and nutty. Transfer to bowl and cool to 90-95F.
- Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.
- Whisk cooled brown butter with sugars in large bowl. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until combined.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just mixed.
- Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix granulated sugar and pumpkin spice for coating.
- Roll dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls, coat in spiced sugar.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes until puffed with surface cracks but centers slightly underdone.
- Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
