Caramel Pumpkin Cookies with Salted Caramel Buttercream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. Spread pumpkin puree onto a plate. Press with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Peel off paper towels, then repeat with a fresh paper towel until it no longer soaks through.
4. Scrape drained pumpkin into a small bowl, then whisk in egg yolks until smooth (save the egg whites, you'll need them for the frosting).
5. In a medium bowl, combine lukewarm melted butter with brown sugar. Whisk vigorously until smooth and uniform, not broken-looking or greasy. You can use an electric mixer for this if you'd like.
6. Whisk in pumpkin-egg yolk mixture, followed by Amoretti Natural Salted Caramel Artisan Flavor Paste until evenly incorporated.
7. Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated and no streaks of dry flour remain. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly firmer (you can bake it straight away if you like, though I find it a bit easier to manage with just a brief chill).
8. Scoop dough into balls with a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons worth, or 60g of dough per ball by weight), then arrange on prepared cookie sheet, leaving plenty of space between cookies as they will spread in the oven. I like to bake 6 at a time, but you could probably fit 8.
9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes (10 to 12 if baking un-chilled dough) or until tops are puffed and edges start to brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you prepare the frosting.

For Frosting:

1. In a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over (but not touching) a saucepan of gently boiling water, combine egg whites and granulated sugar. Continue to whisk until egg whites are frothy and mixture is warm to the touch; if you rub a bit between your fingers you should not feel any grains of sugar.
2. Transfer to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn to medium high and whip until mixture forms soft, glossy peaks, and is no longer warm to the touch (the meringue should read no more than 80 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).
3. When meringue is no longer warm to the touch, add room temperature butter and shortening, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next chunk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed.
4. When all of butter is incorporated, switch over to the paddle attachment (this will help mix out some of the excess air). Add sifted powdered sugar and salt and mix until incorporated.
5. Add Amoretti Natural Salted Caramel Artisan Flavor Paste, then increase mixer to high and beat for another minute or two or until light and fluffy.
6. You can make the buttercream ahead of time; transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. Before using, bring to room temperature then mix with an electric mixer until fluffy again.
7. Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to dollop about 1 tablespoon on top of each (fully cooled!) cookie, then spread out using the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Dust with cinnamon if desired.
8. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.