Pumpkin! Miso! Caramel! Brown Butter! What else do you really need? Not much in this swirled and gooey cookie that has a base that tastes like pumpkin pie, and a swirl that is a decadent, sticky miso caramel. It's a super simple recipe, with beautifully autumnal results.
1teaspoonpumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cinnamon
1 cup and 1 tablespoon (150g)all-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
3/4teaspoonDiamond Crystal kosher salt
For the pumpkin miso caramel
1tablespoonsoftened butter
2teaspoonsred miso
1tablespoonpumpkin purée
2tablespoonsdark brown sugar, lightly packed
Instructions
Begin with the cookie dough. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 113 grams of butter and let it melt. Let it begin to fizz and foam, and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until the milk solids from the butter separate and begin to brown. When this reaches a deep brown color, remove the butter from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.
Fill a large bowl with ice water then set the small bowl with the brown butter into the ice bath and whisk for 3-5 minutes, or until the brown butter has cooled into a paste of sorts.
Either using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the brown butter with 110 grams of granulated sugar and 70 grams of dark brown sugar for 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and beat until the batter lightens by one shade and is very fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add in 150 grams of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and mix on the lowest setting until a dough forms. This should take less than 30 seconds.
Move the dough to the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
Make the pumpkin miso caramel. In a small bowl, mash together 1 tablespoon of softened butter, 2 teaspoons of red miso, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin purée and 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar into a smooth paste. Set this in the fridge alongside the dough.
Once the oven is preheated, portion the cookie dough into 7 equal-sized balls, around 80 grams each.
Place these balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and press them down into bigger circles, around 1 inch tall.
Dollop 3-4 dots of caramel on top of every cookie. Use a toothpick to swirl the caramel all over. The cookies will spread significantly, so feel free to really get the caramel everywhere.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are golden around the edges. Let cool and enjoy!