Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 recipe Browned Butter Icing, recipe follows
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 10 Tbsp salted butter, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup half and half

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt until evenly combined, then set the bowl aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, light-brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition just until combined. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract, then blend in the pumpkin puree. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry mixture, mixing only until combined, and scrape the bowl as needed during the whole mixing process.
3. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the cookie dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch circles onto cookie sheets lined with a Silpat or parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch between cookies. Bake in the heated oven for about 12 minutes, until the tops bounce back when gently touched.
4. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for several minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Once they are completely cool, make the icing and spread it over the cookies. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and bring them back to room temperature before serving.
5. If you would rather skip the piping bag, drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the lined baking sheets instead; the cookies just will not be quite as round. You can also make them larger than the 1 1/2-inch rounds, but if you pipe bigger cookies, leave a little extra room between them.