Brown Butter Buttons
By cuznvin
From Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker (Chronicle Books, 2008)
One of the most unusual cookies I've ever tasted, these homey delights were introduced to me by my good friend Nancy Kux, owner of Nancy's Fancies in Burlingame, California, for over two decades. The heirloom recipe originated with Nancy's Swedish aunt, who called them Dream Cookies (and they truly are a dream come true). Showcasing the nutty flavor of browned butter, the cookies bake into puffy buttons with cracked tops. When you bite into them, they're indescribably rich and crumbly, melting luxuriously in your mouth.
Ingredients
- • 8 ounces (2 sticks/225 grams) unsalted butter
- • 2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) all-purpose flour
- • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- • 1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) granulated sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Before baking: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Following the directions for making brown butter, melt the butter in a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat and heat just until it begins to turn a delicate brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a medium bowl. If you like, you can strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve, but I prefer the golden specks in the batter. Set the butter aside to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sift together the flour and baking soda onto a piece of waxed paper; set aside.
Add the vanilla to the butter, and then stir in half of the sugar, blending well before adding the remaining sugar. Add the flour mixture in two additions, blending well after each addition. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the ingredients.
To shape each cookie, measure about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the dough, or scoop up the dough with an ice cream scoop about 1 1/4 inches in diameter (#70). Work the crumbly dough between your palms to form cohesive balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.
Bake the cookies until they puff up, crack a bit on top, and are golden on the bottom, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Stack the cooled cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen cookies