Brown Butter Autumn Spice Cookies

Soft, spiced, and built on the same base as your famous brown-butter chocolate chip cookies. This version keeps the chew, adds the gingerbread warmth, and finishes with a brown-butter cream cheese topping that melts into the cracks.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• ¾ cup brown butter (about 150 g), cooled to room temperature

• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon molasses

• 1 large egg + 2 yolks, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spices

• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon cloves

• Optional: pinch of black pepper

Dry Ingredients

• 1¾ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon fine salt

For the Topping

(Cream Cheese Brown-Butter Glaze)

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

• 2 tablespoons brown butter, soft and cooled

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

• 2 tablespoons buttercream OR 1–2 tablespoons milk
  (buttercream = thicker frosting, milk = thin glaze)

Instructions

1. Make the Cookies

1. Brown the butter
   Cook the butter until golden and aromatic. Let it cool until thickened and just warm.

2. Mix the wet ingredients
   Whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
   Add the egg, yolks, vanilla, and molasses; mix until fully combined.

3. Combine the dry ingredients
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices.

4. Form the dough
   Add the dry mix to the wet mixture and fold until a soft dough forms.
   Don’t overmix.

5. Chill
   Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to help flavor and structure.

6. Bake
   Preheat the oven to 170°C.
   Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
   Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look soft.

7. Cool
   Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.

2. Make the Topping

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add the brown butter and mix until creamy.

3. Add the caster sugar and mix until dissolved.

4. Add buttercream for a thick frosting
   or milk for a glaze consistency.

5. Spoon or pipe over cooled or slightly warm cookies.