Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin (Printer-Friendly Version)
Chewy pumpkin cookies with brown butter, maple, and white chocolate ghosts—festive and perfectly tender.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 -
1 cup unsalted butter
02 -
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
03 -
1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg yolk
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/4 cup pure maple syrup
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1/3 cup pumpkin puree
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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3/4 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
→ Ghost Decorating
15 -
1 cup white chocolate melting wafers
16 -
1/4 cup black candy melts
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it develops a nutty aroma and deep golden color, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 -
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until blended. Whisk in egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup until smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree.
03 -
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture using a spatula until just combined.
04 -
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a cookie scoop to portion dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are set and centers are slightly puffy.
05 -
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
06 -
Place white chocolate melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth. Do not overheat.
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Spoon a dollop of melted white chocolate onto the top of each cooled cookie. Using the back of a spoon, gently drag down to form a ghost shape. Repeat for all cookies and allow chocolate to solidify.
08 -
Melt black candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Transfer to a piping bag or ziplock with the tip cut off. Pipe small dots for eyes and a mouth on each white chocolate ghost. Let the decorations harden completely before serving.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
Use only pure maple syrup for optimal depth of flavor; imitation syrup significantly alters taste.
02 -
Cookies will continue to cook on the tray after removal from the oven, so avoid overbaking.
03 -
Practicing ghost shapes with white chocolate on parchment before topping cookies ensures best results.