Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Hubby's favorite non-chocolate, non-nut cookie is a Snickerdoodle. Now you must know that Snickerdoodles and I do not get along. About 50 years ago (yes 50) I was a member of the Busy Bees 4-H club. It was time to make something for the fair. I chose Snickerdoodles, a cookie we had learned to make that year.
The details are bit fuzzy but it went something like this: I was measuring the dry ingredients and some how put in a tablespoon of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon. I was ready to dump it and start over but my ever frugal mother had a better idea. If we 6 timed the recipe it would work. So needless to say I made one large batch of Snickerdoodles, I made them in a huge dish pan, and cooked Snickerdoodles for days. I made enough Snickerdoodles to last a life time. Poor hubby.
Then a Snickerdoodle recipe caught my eye. Brown Butter Snickerdoodles--I'm ready to take the plunge. So I browned my butter--a smell that is out of this world, and quickly made just one batch. They were amazing! I will make them again. The Snickerdoodle curse is over.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

For rolling mixture
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Heat till the butter foams and begins to turn brown. Stir constantly and watch closely. You want brown butter not black. Carefully pour butter in a bowl to cool.
With an electric mixer mix the butter and sugars until blended. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture, beat until just combined.
Chill dough--you want it to be firm enough to roll into balls. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on parchment covered sheet pans. Bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookie begin to turn golden brown. They will look underdone in the middle but will set up as they cool. If you want crispy cookies cook 2 minute\s longer. Enjoy! Recipe from Pretty Peas.
Printable recipe

One Year Ago------Witchy Pillow
Two Years Ago----Pizza Loaf
Three Years Ago---Peanut Butter Cookies
Four Years Ago----Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Brown Butter is so trendy right now--and it should be. Most anything made with browned butter is delicious. But it is certainly not a new flavor. 50 years ago my Mother made a delicious butterscotch cookie with a browned butter frosting. Mom didn't make them often because they were a lot of work. My Dad loved them so she made them for him--often hiding them in the back of the freezer. The point being brown butter has really been around for awhile. I will get Moms recipe and blog about them someday.
Today we have a simple oatmeal cookie turned epic. Yes I think brown butter glaze raises these cookies to the epic status! Enjoy this yummy recipe.

Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cups baby oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently just until incorporated.  Drop dough using a 1 Tablespoon scoop and bake for 8-9 minutes at 350.  The cookies do not brown very much and they will look slightly underdone.  Cool.  Top with browned butter glaze.

I made this recipe in my food processor—it is so quick. Combine butter, sugars, egg and vanilla in bowl. Process with metal blade for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients in bowl. Pulse 10 times. It will still look under mixed—this is fine, just use a spatula and stir together. It is that easy and it works! This is my favorite way to make a small batch of cookies.

Browned Butter Glaze
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned.  There will be brown bits in the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. Be careful—don’t multi task while doing this. Butter goes from brown to black in seconds! (I really know). Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Mix in the remaining ingredients adding milk until desired consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cookies. I put frosting in a Ziploc baggie, cut off the corner and drizzle. I like plenty of frosting/glaze so I make wide drizzles-or plenty of skinny drizzles. Use your creative license!

Makes about 2 ½ dozen small cookies

Printable Recipe 

Look at my cute helper--my grandchildren live states away so my darling next door neighbor is happy to fill in. She likes making (and eating) cookies as much as I do!
This recipe was inspired by Jenn's recipe on Eat Cake For Dinner--one of my favorite blogs.