Start by making your brown butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep whisking constantly as it begins to foam. Pay attention as the butter starts to crackle and foam. After a couple of minutes, you’ll notice it browning at the bottom, releasing a nutty aroma. Remove from heat as soon as it achieves that rich brown color.
Immediately transfer the browned butter to a bowl to prevent further cooking. Make sure to scrape every last drop from the saucepan. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. It's crucial for the butter to cool before mixing.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer (or mixing by hand), beat the ingredients until they are well combined and creamy.
Next, add in the egg white, vanilla, and Pumpkin Puree. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
In another bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. This will be your dry mixture.
With the electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and helps the butter solidify, making the dough easier to work with.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the dough has chilled, take about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. If the dough feels too hard, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Roll the dough balls in this mixture until they are fully coated, then place them on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 11 to 14 minutes, or until they are just slightly golden brown around the edges. Keep an eye on them to avoid overbaking!
Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your freshly made Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles!
