Iced Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe by Catherine Pla

Makes about 12 cookies

Iced Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Cakey and spicy with a sweet vanilla glaze, these are so satisfying with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Double the recipe if you need more.

• 1⁄2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 3⁄4 c + 2 T all-purpose flour

• 1 c old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1⁄2 t baking soda

• 1 t pumpkin pie spice

• 1⁄2 t kosher salt

• 1⁄2 c granulated sugar

• 1⁄3 c packed brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 t vanilla bean paste, or extract

• 1⁄2 c canned pumpkin puree

Vanilla Glaze

• 3⁄4 c confectioner’s sugar

• 1 T milk

• 1⁄2 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Line sheet pans with parchment.

Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have too much moisture in your batter. I place a double thickness of paper towels in a small bowl and dump my pumpkin puree in, then blot the surface as well.

Add butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. It will begin to foam and crackle and after about 6 minutes, begin to brown. Cook until the butter is a dark amber color and the milk solids are dark brown. The butter will have a pleasant nutty aroma and is called “beurre noisette” (hazelnut butter) in French. Pour into a Pyrex measuring cup or other heat proof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Pour the browned butter into a large bowl and add the sugars. Whisk briskly to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk, then add the pumpkin. Add the the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix lightly until just combined. Dough will be sticky.

Use a 2 tablespoon scoop (I use an ice cream scoop dipped in water and shaken off) and portion the dough onto the sheet pans, placing them 3 inches apart. Bake until puffed up and firm, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cookies can be warm to glaze.

To make glaze, combine sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring to smooth. Microwave 30 seconds which will thin it out and help it set once it cools. If your glaze seems too thick, add a little more milk. Too thin? Add a bit more sugar. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, or spread on glaze with an offset spatula. Let cookies cool completely before serving.