Whipped Shortbread & Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Cookie Sandwiches

PSLs (Pumpkin Spice Lattes) are all the rage this time of year. Pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that! My favorite way “to pumpkin spice” is in cookie form! I mean…what’s not to love?

My absolute favorite shortbread cookies are the base of the recipe. These buttery shortbread cookies are whipped, meaning you whip together the butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is so light and fluffy, it forms the most melt-in-your-mouth shortbread you’ve ever had. Potato starch is the secret ingredient, making these cookies even lighter, softer, and crumblier.

On to the pumpkin spice buttercream! With pumpkin purée, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and other warm spices, this buttercream is like the frosting-form of pumpkin pie. Generously sandwiched between two shortbread cookies dusted with more spice, this pumpkin spice buttercream is so good you might catch yourself spooning it into your mouth!

This recipe is one of my favorite fall-time desserts that’s even perfect on the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.

 

 

 

Makes: 12-14 cookie sandwiches (24-28 shortbread cookies)

Prep time: 50 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

The Ingredients

For cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup potato starch (or corn starch)

1 ½ teaspoons real vanilla extract

For pumpkin spice buttercream:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, softened

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup pumpkin purée

¼ teaspoon real vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

*Plus more pumpkin pie spice to dust

(To make own pumpkin pie spice if you can’t buy it premade: 2 tbs cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground nutmeg mixed together)

 

 

 

The Steps

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

To make whipped shortbread cookies: In the bowl of a mixer, add softened butter (2 sticks) and powdered sugar. Whip butter/sugar mixture for 10 minutes increasing speed from low (so powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere) to high, pausing mixer twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Scrape down the bowl again and add flour and potato starch. Turn mixer to medium-low until combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add vanilla. Turn mixer on medium-low again until combined.

Coat a tablespoon measuring spoon with potato starch, shaking off access starch. Scoop tablespoon balls of dough onto a nonstick (or greased) cookie sheet about an inch apart from each other until all dough is scooped.

Coat a fork with potato starch, shaking off access starch. Push down dough balls with the fork to form round discs that look like cookies but aren’t super flat. Repeat the process on each cookie, to make cross-hatch (crisscross) marks on each cookie.

Bake cookies for 15-17 minutes until cookies are just set but not golden. When pressed with a finger, cookies should have some resistance when done.

To make pumpkin spice buttercream: In the bowl of a mixer, add ½ stick softened butter and powdered sugar. Cream on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, and pumpkin spice. Blend until completely combined. Add more pumpkin spice if you like a stronger spice flavor!

Select two cookies that are about the same size. Use a teaspoon to scoop about a teaspoon-worth of buttercream on the bottom of a cookie, and place the other bottom of the cookie against the buttercream to form a cookie sandwich. Press together the cookies so the icing seals the two cookies together. Use more buttercream between each cookie, depending on your preference! Repeat the process for all cookies. Dust top of cookie sandwiches with more pumpkin spice.

To store: keep cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove cookies from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

 

 

  

The Steps with Pictures

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

To make whipped shortbread cookies: In the bowl of a mixer, add softened butter (2 sticks) and powdered sugar. Whip butter/sugar mixture for 10 minutes increasing speed from low (so powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere) to high, pausing mixer twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Scrape down the bowl again and add flour and potato starch. Turn mixer to medium-low until combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add vanilla. Turn mixer on medium-low again until combined.

Coat a tablespoon measuring spoon with potato starch, shaking off access starch. Scoop tablespoon balls of dough onto a nonstick (or greased) cookie sheet about an inch apart from each other until all dough is scooped.

Coat a fork with potato starch, shaking off access starch. Push down dough balls with the fork to form round discs that look like cookies but aren’t super flat. Repeat the process on each cookie, to make cross-hatch (crisscross) marks on each cookie.

Bake cookies for 15-17 minutes until cookies are just set but not golden. When pressed with a finger, cookies should have some resistance when done.

To make pumpkin spice buttercream: In the bowl of a mixer, add ½ stick softened butter and powdered sugar. Cream on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, and pumpkin spice. Blend until completely combined. Add more pumpkin spice if you like a stronger spice flavor!

Select two cookies that are about the same size. Use a teaspoon to scoop about a teaspoon-worth of buttercream on the bottom of a cookie, and place the other bottom of the cookie against the buttercream to form a cookie sandwich. Press together the cookies so the icing seals the two cookies together. Use more buttercream between each cookie, depending on your preference! Repeat the process for all cookies. Dust top of cookie sandwiches with more pumpkin spice.

To store: keep cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove cookies from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.