Pumpkin Brulée Cookies
A brown butter pumpkin cookie is layered with pumpkin cheesecake and a torched sugar topping. Layers of pumpkin flavor with a delicious crunchy caramelized sugar topping.
Ingredients
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 sticks butter (browned) please refer to this post on how to brown butter. https://sunshinetxcookies.com/?p=1053
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar for cookie dough.
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tspns vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup pumpkin puree please refer to this post on how to make fresh puree. https://sunshinetxcookies.com/?p=2287
- 1 tspn pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tspn cinnamon
- 2 tspn cream of tartar
- 1 tspn baking soda
- ½ cup graham cracker flour ½ package of graham crackers blended into powder.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbspn cornstarch
- ½ tspn salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for torching on top.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Topping
- 8 oz full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1½ tspn vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp pumpkin purée
Instructions
- Combine brown butter and both types of sugar in a bowl.
- Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and maple syrup.
- Using 2-4 paper towels, place pumpkin puree in the center of paper towels and gently squeeze out as much water as possible. The puree will look dry.
- Add the squeezed out pumpkin puree to the egg and sugar mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, spices, cream of tartar, and baking soda and fold into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Using a 3 ounce cookie scoop, place 4 cookies per parchment lined baking baking sheet. These cookies will spread quite a bit while baking so make sure not to crowd the pan.
- Bake at 375*F for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown.
- Cool for 10 minutes on pan before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Topping
- In a bowl mix together room temperature cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and salt.
- The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
- On top of a cooled browned butter pumpkin cookie, spread one tablespoon of the prepared pumpkin cheesecake. Smooth the cheesecake so that it is a level surface for the sugar topping.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin cheesecake topped cookie generously with one teaspoon of granulated sugar as evenly as possible.
- Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar on top of the cookie until the sugar is brown, bubbling, and crisp.
- Alternatively, place sugar topped cookies underneath the broiler on HIGH for 10-20 seconds to caramelize the sugar. Keep a close eye on the cookies so the sugar doesn't burn.
- Allow the sugar to harden and the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Using fresh pumpkin puree gives a stronger and sweeter pumpkin flavor to these cookies. Layers of pumpkin flavor and a fun caramelized sugar topping make this dessert a show stopper for any pumpkin fan.
The cookies (without the toppings) can be baked and stored in a covered container for up to 5 days. The pumpkin cheesecake filling can be prepared 3 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
These cookies are best eaten in the moment shared with family and friends.