Pumpkin Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies
- 210 g. (1 ⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
- 135 g. (1 ⅔ cups) quick oats
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- 170 g. (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g. (1 cup) packed light brown sugar
- 100 g. (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 240 g. (1 cup) E.D.SMITH® pure pumpkin puree, blotted well to remove excess moisture (yields about 135–140 g after draining, see note)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 g. (½ cup) unsalted butter, browned and chilled until solid
- 40 g. cream cheese, softened
- 180 g. (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp. milk/cream as needed
- Pinch salt
Directions
Prepare the pumpkin:
- Drain canned pumpkin by spreading it on a paper towel–lined cutting board. Pat with additional paper towels and let stand for 15 minutes. Replace with fresh paper towels if needed. You should have about 135–140 g (½ cup) well-drained puree.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Mix in drained pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until no streaks remain.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (about 30 g), portion dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Make the frosting:
- Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until brown specks appear at the bottom of the pan and the butter gives off a nutty aroma. Chill until firm (10–15 minutes in the freezer).
- Beat browned butter with cream cheese until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating until fluffy. If frosting is too stiff, add 1–2 tsp milk or cream as needed.
Assemble sandwiches
- Spread or pipe frosting onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies and gently press to sandwich.
Tips
- For picture-perfect cookies, gently drop the baking sheet on the counter right after baking to flatten them slightly. While still warm, use a round cookie cutter to clean up the edges and make them perfectly round.
- Pumpkin: Draining is essential to avoid excess moisture in the dough. Start with 240 g (1 cup) canned pumpkin, but expect to end up with 135–140 g (½ cup) after draining.
