Sweet Potato Pie Cookies

Instructions

1. For cookies, place butter into a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until amber in color, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into a large heat-safe mixing bowl, and let cool for 20 minutes.
2. Once browned butter has cooled, add cream cheese, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and nutmeg. Beat mixture with an electric mixer until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat for an additional 1 minute. Beat in flour, cornstarch, and baking soda until just combined. Cover bowl and place in the freezer until the dough is easier to handle, about 20 minutes.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour 1/3 cup sugar into a small bowl.
4. Remove dough from freezer. Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and drop into the sugar, coating it. Roll dough into a ball, then roll again in sugar until thoroughly coated. Place dough ball onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your thumb, or the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula, make an indentation into the dough about 1 inch wide and slightly less than a 1/2 inch deep. Repeat this process with remaining cookie dough.
5. Freeze formed dough until chilled, about 15 minutes, or refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. For filling, whisk sweet potato puree, sugar, egg, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and combined.
8. Remove 9 chilled cookies from the freezer and space them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Fill each cookie with 2 teaspoons filling.
9. Bake cookies in the preheated oven until edges of cookies begin to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Repeat process of filling and baking cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, until all cookies are baked.