Salted Brown Butter Cookies Recipes

SALTED BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until it starts to brown. When the butter has browned and is ready, the foam will have subsided and it will have turned a nutty color. Watch closely so as not to burn the butter. Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. With a spoon, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and lightly press it into the top of cookies. Bake for 12 minutes.

BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat butter over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until it turns nut brown in color. The foaming and bubbling is part of the browning process, but watch it carefully so that you don't burn the butter. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the butter for the frosting.
• Pour remaining browned butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat browned butter with brown sugar until the butter is no longer hot. Mix in eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat thoroughly. Mix in flour and chopped pecans. Drop tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown around the edges. Cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix the reserved 1/2 cup browned butter with 2 teaspoons vanilla, confectioners' sugar, and hot water. Beat until smooth, and use to frost cooled cookies.

SALTED BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Melt butter in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, then cook over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter has a nutty aroma and is a rich brown color, and bottom of pan is speckled with browned bits of the milk solids, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, including browned milk solids on bottom, and chill until almost firm, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk together flour and cornstarch in a bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in egg, salt, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined well.
• Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firmer, but not hard, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) between 2 large sheets of wax paper 1/8 inch thick (this is when the rolling pin rings are really helpful). Freeze or chill dough on a baking sheet or tray until firm, 5 to 15 minutes, then cut out as many cookies as possible from dough. Transfer cookies to lined baking sheet, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart. If the cookies become too warm to transfer, freeze or chill until firm (see Cooks' notes).
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, gather scraps of dough and repeat cookie process above. Parchment can be reused, but make sure baking sheet cools between batches. Make more cookies with remaining dough.
• Make icing:
• Beat together all ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
• Increase speed to high and continue to beat until icing holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes with a handheld. If not using icing immediately, cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Transfer icing to a heavy-duty resealable bag and press out excess air. Snip a 1/8-inch opening in bottom corner of bag, then twist bag firmly just above icing and decoratively pipe icing onto cookies. If desired, sprinkle with sanding sugars or colorful sea salts while icing is still wet. (For tinted icing, see Cooks' notes.)
• Let icing dry completely (about 1 hour) before storing cookies.

SALTED CARAMEL BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add all of the butter at once and allow to melt, stirring continuously, until it begins to foam and turn brown in color, about 5 minutes. Continue to stir over medium heat until the foam has subsided. Remove the pan from heat and continue to stir until the butter is a medium golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Place unwrapped chocolate kisses in the freezer.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Combine browned butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into butter mixture, mixing until well combined; do not overmix. Allow dough to chill in the refrigerator for 40 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are light golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for exactly 4 minutes. Gently press a caramel-chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; press slightly into cookie and not just placed on top. Sprinkle a scant pinch of sea salt over the center of the cookies and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Refrigerate if necessary to re-harden caramel kisses.