(Bakery-Style) Soft-Baked Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

Parchment paper or silpat liner
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsatled butter softened, do NOT melt
1 CUP (not an entire can!) canned pumpkin, do not use pumpkin pie filling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (block cream cheese, not spreadable), softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, NOT melted
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

Prepare a large sheet pan by lining with parchment paper or a silpat liner (very important to avoid burned bottoms on these cookies). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add 1 CUP pumpkin, the egg, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is creamy. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Avoid over-mixing as it will create denser cookies.

Place heaping tablespoons of the batter on the baking sheet (I only bake 6 at a time) and flatten the balls of dough slightly. (The batter is wetter than normal cookie dough so don’t be alarmed that you can’t roll out balls of dough).

Bake for 9-14 minutes, watching carefully, to avoid over-baking. We like these slightly under-baked and soft, but the tops shouldn’t be shiny at all. Remove and allow to continue “baking” for another 2 minutes on the sheet pan before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened (not melted, should be at room temperature) cream cheese and butter until creamy (about 2 minutes) at medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until everything is combined and the frosting is soft and creamy. Avoid over-beating the mixture or you’ll get whipped frosting.

Generously frost the completely cooled cookies and if desired, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little extra pumpkin pie spice.
Do not store the cookies in tupperware. Store on plates loosely covered with foil in the fridge. Best eaten within 2-3 days. Cookies can be frozen SEPARATELY from the frosting (do not freeze frosting) for up to 3 months.