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Home » Recipes » Cookies

The Quietly Understated Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookie

January 11, 2021 by Sarah Marx Feldner 4 Comments

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Brown Sugar Brown Butter Cookie During the Quarantine of 2020, my sister and I started a virtual "Cookie Friday." Every Friday, we would make cookies. She in her LA kitchen, me in my Milwaukee kitchen. It helped us feel connected during this isolated time. And, we got to eat cookies. 😉

This recipe was hands down one of my favorites. It's everything I look for in a cookie: soft, subtle, and ridiculously delicious.

When you look at the ingredient list, it really is a no-brainer: 3(!) sticks of brown butter + brown sugar + a tablespoon(!) of vanilla. Three flavors just meant to go together.

Like cookies and quarantine.

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Brown Sugar Brown Butter Cookie

The Quietly Understated Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookie

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Sarah Marx Feldner
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: ~3 dozen
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Just a heads up: The brown butter needs time to chill before making the cookies, so be sure to plan accordingly.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (360 g)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp fine-grain salt (like table or sea salt)
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks, 12 oz)
  • 1 ¼ cups brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 TB vanilla
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

To brown the butter:

  1. Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Gently swirl the pan every few seconds until the butter starts to smell nutty and brown bits appear on the bottom (~5 minutes). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking, then refrigerate until solidified.

To make the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. Into the bowl of an electric mixer, scrape the firm brown butter, making sure to get all the brown bits - they're loaded with flavor! Add the brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. With the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl.
  5. Add in the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Use a spatula to hand mix any dry bits at the bottom of the bowl.
  6. Using a 1 ½ TB (#40) cookie scoop, scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, gently flatten each cookie until ~½-inch thick. Generously sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar.
  7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until golden around the edges, but slightly under-baked in the center. Let cool slightly on baking rack, then enjoy!

Notes

  • When browning butter, watch closely, as those nutty brown bits can quickly turn from brown to burnt. Here is a great tutorial.
  • This is the cookie scoop I use religiously. I've had the same one for years and it's worth every penny!
  • Recipe adapted from A Spicy Perspective.

Keywords: cookies, sugar cookies, christmas cookies, brown butter cookies, baking with brown butter

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @bakeitwrite and hashtag #bakeitwrite so we can all take a look!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patty

    March 29, 2021 at 9:45 am

    These cookies are amazing! We love them and my daughter usually doesn’t like sugar cookies but loves these:)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Sarah Marx Feldner

      June 01, 2021 at 11:45 am

      Thanks, Patty! They are definitely one of my favorites. So happy you and your daughter agree!

      Reply
  2. april thrun

    February 27, 2023 at 5:40 pm

    #CookieFriday - The best!!

    Reply
    • Sarah Marx Feldner

      March 06, 2023 at 4:40 pm

      The BEST! ❤️

      Reply

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