Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

These cookies scream comfort, fall and a constant request for the recipe.



I made these cookies a couple years ago for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit. I've been making them ever since. The cookies themselves are light and almost cake-like and full of autumn flavor while the brown sugar frosting tops it perfectly. You will love these cookies.



I believe the recipe originally came from Better Homes & Gardens but you can find a printable copy here.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl combine 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground allspice & 1/4 tsp baking soda.

I love the smell of allspice.



Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter until creamy. Beat in 1 cup sugar and then add 1 egg and mix again.



Stir in 1 cup of pumpkin puree. If you are using canned make sure you pick up pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix.

Not that I've ever done that.



Mix in the flour concoction until just incorporated.

Oh you can just smell fall all around you now!



Stir in 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans.

Mine are a bit on the dark side because... well... I'm just a bit on the dark side.
Or I always forget about the nuts when I toast them.



Drop by rounded teaspoonful about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

I obviously used a cookie scoop for these.



Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until the bottoms are lightly browned. Don't wait until the tops are brown. Sometimes I just lift one up a bit to see underneath.

These cookies are almost a little too perfectly round for my taste. They need to have a bit more individuality. They're like cookie clones.



I used the scoop here to but I wasn't as dainty with it. This is more of what you get when you just drop it by the spoonful. I'm not sure it matters when you get the frosting on anyway but I can get a little odd with my cookies.

Let your cookies cool completely!

From here you can either pack them up between layers of wax paper and then freeze for up to 3 months or you can frost them. The freezing works fine, I've done it many times. You just pull them out of the freezer, let them defrost completely and then frost.



For the frosting you'll combine 6 tablespoons of butter with 1/3 cup packed brown sugar in a medium sauce pan. I used dark brown. Melt over medium heat until the butter melts and then remove from heat.



Stir in 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

You'll end up with really thick not pretty frosting. Add in 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. I ended up using about 3 teaspoons. A little water goes a long way so be careful as you don't want to end up with a glaze.

If you do end up with a glaze then pour it over all the cookies (a couple of times) and rename this Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Brown Sugar Glaze. Perfecto!



I use a spoon and just put a dollop on top and spread it a bit. The amount of frosting is up to you. You could add a bit more water and drizzle it over the top for a different look.



The recipe makes about 40 cookies. I got about 44 out of this batch.

Light, fluffy and comforting with the perfect amount of fall spice.

Make a batch of these and welcome autumn with me!