Butternut Squash Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

With the chill of fall in the air, my culinary bent is directed to apples, pumpkins and squash. I have soup on the brain, but what goes better with a bowl of soup than homemade cookies! My son and his wife have a bumper crop of butternut squash, so I am finding creative ways to use them. This recipe came from the Martha Stewart Cookie Cookbook, but as usual, I tweaked it according to the ingredients I had on hand. The recipe actually calls for pumpkin, however I often interchange pumpkin and butternut squash.

Peel and dice squash and either roast in the oven or microwave until tender. Drain.  Puree in blender. Reserve 1 1/2 c. for this recipe.

Mix together with electric mixer, butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in eggs, reduce speed to low and add squash, buttermilk and vanilla.

Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to squash mixture and stir until blended. Using cookie scoop place cookie dough on Silpat lined cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until light brown and tops spring back when touched. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks.

For frosting, melt 4 T. butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Continue cooking and stirring until butter begins to turn brown. Do not leave this unattended but keep stirring or swirling the butter.

Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

I transfer the frosting to a zipper bag, and cut one of the bottom tips off. Squeeze a thin ring of frosting around outside of cookie. Then squirt a dollop in the middle and using the back of a spoon, gently spread the dollop around the circle. I use this method so the frosting stays in a nice shape.

Butternut Squash Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

3 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
3/4 t. grated nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 c.)
2 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. pureed butternut squash (or pumpkin)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, Set aside. Mix in bowl, butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. I used my electric mixer for this! Mix in eggs, reduce speed to low and add squash, buttermilk and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture and mix until combined. With cookie scoop, place cookies on Silpat lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until light brown and tops spring back when touched. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks.

Frosting

4 T. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter turns a golden brown. Immediately remove from heat and add to powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. (may need to adjust amount of milk) Transfer icing to zipper bag and snip off one of the bottom corners. Using the zipper bag as a pastry  bag and squeeze a thin circle of frosting on top of each cookie. Fill the circle with remaining icing. Smooth out if necessary.