The title of these is a mouthful, but it’s a scrumptious mouthful!
These cookies were a total accident. I had a craving for a pumpkin cookie. I googled ‘easy pumpkin cookies’.
Easy is an understatement. Let me tell you this whole recipe.
1 box Spice Cake
1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
Mix cake mix and puree. Using an ice cream scoop, drop rounded cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350.
Done.
Martha’s recipe has this brown butter icing, but again, I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. And we all know I have this obsession with cookie sandwiches lately, so I wanted to find a thicker, more sturdy frosting to use in a pumpkin cookie sandwich.
And then ended up working out for 2 1/2 hours last night after I came out of my sugar coma.
This was my brown butter directly out of the fridge.
That buttercream. I need to talk about. It was… magical. The aroma of the brown butter was enticing in itself, but then to taste it.
Mind. Blown.
I didn’t know butter could do that.
Please be prepared for browned butter everything on my blog now. Brown butter cake. Brown butter pancakes. Brown butter sugar cookies. Its just needs to happen.
Granted, I am so busy that it probably won’t happen until next year when the trend will be officially over and everyone will be beyond sick of brown butter. But hey. Trendy I am not.
Now, if the whole “box mix” cookies above totally throws you off, please do feel free to substitute your favorite from scratch pumpkin cookie recipe. My husband thought that a crisp cookie would add some nice contrast here, and I think thats a great option.
But I can’t help but love these cookies as is. The soft cake-like texture and the rich brown butter buttercream… its was just perfection.
I know the butter took half a day to make, but it was worth it. So worth it.
These cookies sandwiches are the perfect fall treat!
Brown Butter Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- In a stainless steal or light colored ceramic saucepan, melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter over medium heat. (You will want to be able to see the color changing in the butter.)
- As the milk solids in the butter will start to foam, gently stir the butter.
- The milk solids will subside then start to brown. You should start to smell the aromatic nutty flavors. (this takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes over medium heat. It can take 15 minutes over medium low heat)
- Remove butter from heat and set aside to cool. If you have any small brown bits that is ok, but if there are any burnt bits you will want to strain the butter in cheesecloth.
- Place plastic wrap in a bowl and pour room temperature butter into bowl.
- Set butter in fridge until solid. (about 3 hours)
- Remove butter from fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. (about 2 hours) Do not microwave.
- Place room temperature butter and room temperature browned butter into mixer and using whisk attachment, whip for about 1 minute on medium high.
- Add in sugar and vanilla and whip on low speed. Slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time, add in buttermilk. I usually use about 4 tablespoons but have used as many as 6. Whip frosting on high for 1-3 minutes, until it
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Hahaha I feel the EXACT SAME WAY about brown butter!!!! It’s not about trendy, it’s about delicious, and brown butter is delicious, and I want to swim in it forever. (Maybe not swim.) Anyway, rest assured that you’ll still have one person super into your brown butter recipes even if they’re next year and everyone else is sick of it! 🙂 LOVE these cookies and love brown butter in frosting — I’ve used it in cream cheese frosting but not in buttercream, so that sounds like what needs to happen next!
YAY!! I would totally swim in it with you. 🙂
I love hearing something is trendy that I’ve been doing for more years than I care to admit…I’ll use brown butter in a heartbeat in lots of recipes; it simply elevates the flavors so nicely.
What I do is add a touch of…no big surprise…Bourbon. Think Bourbon Browned Butter Buttercream. Yeah, it’s good!
These cookies sound divine; can I order some? 😉
You are totally a trend setter girl. Your site is a FIRST stop for inspiration!! 🙂
Whaaaaat?! You sure weren’t kidding. These are fabulously easy and look great!
I hope you can try them… you would totally appreciate that awesome brown butter frosting… 🙂
I got into brown butter for the first time a few weeks ago, and did like three brown butter recipes in a row. It’s so addicting! I love box cake mix cookies, and these look so thick and fluffy!
That must be why its on my brain… I blame you! 🙂
These sound amazing and are beautiful, too! Browned butter is delicious in ALL things, so I am sure this is a winner.
Thank you! I can’t wait to try it on veggies!
I cannot remember how I came across your blog but I am thankful I did. I seriously check it every day for something new or as soon as something goes on Instagram I check your blog! My husbands in the Air Force and his squadron are my guinea pigs lol so I’ll be attempting to make these and sending him to work with them
I hope they love them! I thank him for his service and you for your support!! 🙂
Brown butter makes the most amazing frosting! Imagine making these with browned butter cream cheese frosting? Ohmygahh delicious
Such a great idea… totally trying that next!
I’m such a sucker for a sandwich cookie. And I think it’s about time I hop on this brown butter bandwagon!
ME TOO!! So glad someone else doesn’t mind all of mine lately!!!
All of my favorite things… so {duh} I’ll have no problems putting a few {dozen} down. 🙂
lol Excellent use of {these} things. 🙂
Can’t get enough of anything pumpkin flavored and these look so amazing! I’m an aspiring foodblogger and it would mean the world if you could check it out at http://thevanillabeanqueen.blogspot.co.nz
Thanks for stopping by Sara! Best of luck to you and on your blog!