Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cutout Cookies (Vintage Mirro Recipe)
These Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cutout Cookies come from a fantastically delicious recipe I found in a vintage Mirro cookie cutter recipe booklet from my grandmother’s collection. I used her red Mirro pumpkin cutter to make them, adding a slight modern twist with the decorations. The cookies are buttery and tender with warm brown sugar and cinnamon flavor, then topped with swirls of orange, pink and green butter frosting.
I decorated some of the pumpkins in traditional orange and gave the others a fun pink Halloween makeover. Pink has become such a popular Halloween color, and I love how cheerful the two colors look together!
A Vintage Mirro Recipe from My Grandmother’s Collection
I found this recipe in a little booklet my grandmother kept with her collection of cookie cutters. The booklet was made by Mirro, a company known for its popular vintage kitchenware and cookie cutters.
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The Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, which later became the Mirro Aluminum Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, produced many of its now-collectible aluminum cookie cutters during the 1930s through the 1950s. They often featured painted handles and came in charming shapes such as animals, gingerbread men and Christmas trees.
The vintage pumpkin cutter I used is red plastic and measures approximately 3½ × 2½ inches. Mirro also made plastic cookie cutters, which became popular during the mid-century decades. I love that I was able to use one of my grandmother’s own cutters to bring her recipe back to life.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
These cookies have a rich brown sugar flavor with just the right amount of cinnamon. They hold their pumpkin shape well while baking and stay tender instead of becoming hard or overly crisp.
They’re also such fun cookies to decorate. Traditional orange pumpkins are always adorable, while the pink pumpkins add a playful, modern Halloween touch.
Tips for Making the Cookie Dough
Once you begin adding the flour mixture, the dough will become fairly thick. I found it easiest to finish working the flour into the dough by hand.
Divide the dough in half, shape each portion into a disk and wrap it in parchment paper. Smaller portions chill more evenly and are easier to handle. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough about ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use only enough flour to keep it from sticking because too much can make the cookies dry.
As an alternative, place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it to ¼-inch thickness. Peel away the top sheet, cut out the cookies and transfer them to the prepared cookie sheet. This method prevents sticking without adding extra flour and makes cleanup easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decorate pumpkin cookies? Using a #21 open-star decorating tip, pipe curved lines from the top to the bottom of each pumpkin until the surface is covered, then pipe a small green stem at the top.
Can I leave out the cinnamon? Yes! Omit it and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract to the cookie dough instead.
How should I store the cookies? Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If refrigerated, let them come to room temperature before serving.
These vintage-inspired pumpkin cookies were so much fun to make, especially knowing that I was using a recipe and cookie cutter that belonged to my grandmother. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine did!
Watch the video for Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cutout Cookies on my TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, and follow along for a new video every Monday and Thursday in my Grandmother’s Recipes series!
Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cutout Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened, softened
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Butter Frosting
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Orange, pink and green food coloring, as desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then finish mixing the flour into the dough by hand. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion in parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut it into pumpkin shapes and place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Or as an alternate method, roll cookie between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Let them cool on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough cream to make a pipeable frosting. Reserve a small amount and tint it green. Divide the remaining frosting between two bowls, tinting one orange and the other pink.
- Transfer the frosting to three pastry bags fitted with #21 open-star tis. Pipe curved orange or pink lines from the top to the bottom of each pumpkin. Pipe a small green stem on top. Let the frosting set before serving or storing. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If refrigerated, let them come to room temperature before serving.
- Yield: 18 cookies when using a 3½ × 2½-inch pumpkin cookie cutter. The vintage Mirro pumpkin cookie cutter I used is red plastic and measures approximately 3½ × 2½ inches.
Notes
Also, if you don’t care for cinnamon, omit it and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract to the cookie dough instead.