Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a medium bowl whisk the 2 ¾ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper together until well combined and the flour looks fluffy.
In a large mixing bowl beat the 12 tablespoon vegan butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar together until light and creamy. Add the ½ cup applesauce and 1 teaspoon of baking powder mixture and beat until well combined. Add the 2 tsps of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of pumpkin puree and beat until well combined. Add half of the flour and 1 tablespoon of the milk and mix until almost combined. Add the second half of the flour and 1 more tablespoon of milk (if the batter is still too dry, the consistency should be thick enough to spoon onto a cookie sheet.) and mix until almost combined. Add one or more tablespoons of milk if needed.
NOTE: The consistency of the pumpkin puree will determine how much milk you’ll need to add. If it’s a thick and solid puree you might need to add more milk, if it’s a thin, soupy mixture you probably won’t need to add more than two tablespoons.
Finish blending the flour into the mixture with a spoon. Drop by tablespoons on the cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and use a spatula to tranfer to cool on a wire rack.
For the glaze:
In a medium bowl mix the 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon milk together. Add more milk by the teaspoon until you get the consistency that you desire. Some people like a thick and gooey glaze and others like a thin glaze. If the glaze becomes too thin, stir in more confectioner’s sugar.
When the cookies are completely cooled, frost the cookies with the glaze and put the cookies in the refrigerator until the glaze hardens, approximately 1 hour.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.