Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with silicone mats or buttered parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg for cookies in a medium bowl.

3. Beat white sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until well blended. Slowly beat in pumpkin and milk. Add flour mixture, beating until well blended.

4. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a tablespoon or cookie scoop.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then loosen the bottoms with a spatula; let cool completely on wire racks.

6. While cookies cool, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract together for filling in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in powdered sugar until well blended and filling is smooth.

7. Frost the bottom of a cookie, then press the bottom of another cookie on the filling to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Cook's Note:

To flatten the cookies, spray your fingers with butter-flavored cooking spray and push the cookie dough down to be flattened. Otherwise your cookies will be like a football after it's put together.