What are the holidays without cookies, they’re great all year round but there’s something special about getting together with loved ones to bake a batch of an old family recipe or taking the time to make everyone’s favorite cookie just to put a smile on their face. I bake a lot of cookies not only for Christmas, but during the entire season. I will usually assemble boxes to send to best friends in other states, and family in Portugal, but my favorite is participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.
I do it firstly to support and raise awareness for Cookies for Cancer, and then to come up with a new cookie recipe and share it with some great bloggers! Last year I made these double cranberry chocolate chip cookies, but this year I wanted to make a simple cookie. A cookie that was easy to make but had something just a bit more special than it’s original version. Snickerdoodles are a classic cookie loved by many, and my twist for this year’s cookie swap recipe was not only using pumpkin puree but including decadent and nutty brown butter. 
By adding pumpkin puree it not only infuses the cookies with seasonal flavors, it also makes for a very moist, fluffy and cakey center. The pumpkin is subtle but it’s the spices that bring out the seasonal notes. The delicious brown butter gives these cookies a nutty flavor that balances its sweetness, seriously brown butter makes anything taste just a bit more amazing.
Rolling snickerdoodles in a spiced sanding sugar lends to its iconic sparkle and shine. It makes for a crispy sugar crust that almost crackles in your mouth with each bite. The cinnamon sugar coating isn’t overpowering like some snickerdoodles can become either. And did I already mention that these brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles are super soft and beyond moist!
Before shipping them off of course I had to share them amongst my personal taste testers, and they had nothing but rave reviews. Even J who’s isn’t a big sweets guy, mentioned these cookies were amazing. His exacts words when describing these cookies, “he envisioned an image of a picturesque cabin in a snowy winter wonderland with a fireplace going, just calling for you to come and cozy up along with these snickerdoodles.” Yes, I know, pretty elaborate, but if my cookies can give someone this comforting feeling, than that’s all I could ask for in my baked goods.
These cookies are really quick to make, perfect for when you’re so busy this holiday season. They are definitely a milk dunking kind of cookie, the kind you just want to snuggle with while watching holiday movies.
I carefully packaged a dozen of these brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles and sent them to three lovely bloggers. So glad that Hannah Lust from Fleur-De-Licious, Liz Martone from Pumpkin and Peanut Butter, and Hetal Vasavada from Pretty Polymath received and enjoyed my cookies. I loved getting to know their blogs, and you should definitely too!
Within the week of sending my cookies, I slowly began receiving my three dozen cookies from some other great food bloggers. Last year I was matched up with and sent cookies to Shaina from Take a Bite of Boca, but this year she sent me her very chocolatey Chocolate Espresso Snowball Cookies, along with a eye glass cleaning cloth, which I’m always using. 
The next batch was sent from Megan Turner of The Emotional Baker. Her vegan Peppermint Dark Chocolate Cookies were so good! I mean I do love the combination of peppermint and chocolate during the holidays. She even sent along a lovely kitchen towel and cookie tins that will definiltey come in handy this season.
And the last batch of Tropical Cranberry Macaroons came from Renee Joslyn from Freakin’ Flamingo. Totally an unexpected flavor during the holidays, but this tropical fruit loving family definilty enjoyed them!
Hope these cookies inspire you to possibly be a part of next year’s Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap or experiment with some new holiday cookie recipes. Happy holiday cookie baking!
- 4 cups - All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons - Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon - Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon - Pumpkin Spice {Use store bought or a combination of 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger, Dash of Ground Allspice, Ground Nutmeg & Ground Cloves}
- 2 sticks - Unsalted Butter {browned}
- 2 cups - Organic Cane Sugar, or granulated sugar
- 1 cup - Canned Pumpkin Puree {NOT pie filling}
- 2 large - Eggs {room temperature}
- 2 teaspoons - Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2/3 cups - Fine Sanding Sugar
- 1 tablespoon - Pumpkin Spice {1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger, 1/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice, Dash Ground Nutmeg & Ground Cloves}
- Preheat oven to 375* F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cooled browned butter, granulated sugar, and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, at one at a time, then the vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and stir gently until just combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sanding sugar, and pumpkin spice. Drop heaping tablespoons, #5 small cookie scooper of dough into sugar mixture and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, 3 inches apart. Using a spatula, flatten balls to just under 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with more sugar mixture.
- Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until light golden and firm to touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Keep in an air tight container up to 1 month.
[…] Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles […]