Christmas Cookie Parade: Spiced Spritz with Browned Butter Glaze

I love to collect cookie magazines each year during the holidays.  One of my favorites is put out by the Land O Lakes butter company:

I love to flip through and find some new recipes to try out for gifting to my friends and family.  This year, I baked up a batch of Spiced Spritz with Brown Butter Glaze from the 2011 edition:

These tender, little cookies are pure heaven.  Gently spiced with pumpkin pie spice, and nutty and buttery from the brown butter glaze, it is difficult to eat just one.  Bake a batch for yourself and you'll see what I mean.  (You need a cookie press or pastry bag with a large tip for this recipe.)

Spiced Spritz with Browned Butter Glaze

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place 1 cup softened butter in a large bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and

1/2 teaspoon salt ; continue beating, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed.  Add 1 egg and

1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well mixed.  Reduce speed to low and add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.  Beat until well mixed.

2.  Place dough into a cookie press fitted with desired template.  Press cookies, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until edges are set but not brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

3.  For the glaze, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching closely, until butter just starts to turn golden (3 to 5 minutes).  Immediately remove from heat.  Cool slightly.

4. Combine browned butter with 3/4 powdered sugar in a medium bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and enough milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) for desired glazing consistency.  Place the glaze in a sandwich bag, snip one corner, and drizzle glaze over cookies.