Brown butter cookies

[Lisa1349]

Can you recall when you see a recipe that you're dying to make but don't get around to it for a few years? That's me, and I can't find the recipe, please help!

I saw a recipe for brown butter cookies, in one of the food glossies a few years ago. I think about it every year at Christmas, and this year, gosh darn it, I want to make them. Extensive searches on Epicurious are not bringing up the right recipes. It went with a short article about a woman who made these cookies for her office and everyone went nuts for them and it was as simple as browning the butter and chilling, then making the cookies normally. Sure, I could take any butter cookie recipe and do that, but I want the exact recipe. Anyone remember it? Can anyone find it?

This would make my holiday season. Please please help. Thanks.

[eldereno]

Have you done a GOOGLE search. Just by putting in "brown butter cookies" I came up with a quite a few hits. One looks interesting

[natasha1270]

Spoon cookies. I remember that article in Gourmet a few years back (Holiday issue?) and have the recipe "aging" in my recipe folder.

A quick search turns up the recipe on epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/vie...&saved_to_box=y

Would love to find out if they live up to their billing!

N.

[chefpeon]

I know of several shortbread recipes that call for browning the butter, chilling, then mixing up

the shortbread as you normally would. Perhaps if you can't find that exact recipe, you might just

try any shortbread recipe and brown the butter.

Edited December 7, 2007 by chefpeon (log)

[etalanian]

My grandmother was Finnish, and I used to bake with her; spoon cookies are a Finnish cookie! I used to make them with her - and I haven't made them for years.

Thanks for reminding me about them!

Eileen

[junehl]

Ooh, I have been making the "spoon cookies" from the Gourmet magazine a while back.

I have made it as gifts three years in a row. They're good and people like them a lot, but I never did get the sense that they LOVE it. In fact the first time I tasted it, I thought it was ok, but then after the second year, I started liking them a little more.

The brown butter flavor is nice, the texture is what makes it a I like it a lot, but I don't love it. But I bet anyone who likes really crumbly texture cookies will love it.

I wish I had taken some pictures of the ones I made this year for Thanksgiving. This year I made a modification to them that I think really help them standout. I just make the cookies as is with the jam sandwiched in between. Then after they've cooled, i piped dark chocolate around the edge of the seam. This makes them look better, and the dark chocolate brings a different flavor to the cookie, and tempers the sweetness without overpowering it.

[alanamoana]

i've also heard of these called "swedish dream" cookies. they are, in my opinion, in the same category as mexican wedding or russian tea cookies. i love the sandy texture as i've always loved crumbly/sandy cookies.

i like the idea of chocolate with them. maybe dipped halfway or a drizzle on top would be nice as well.

[JAZ]

Are these the same as "sand cookies"? I love those.

[highchef]

I have a Cooks' recipe from April this year that is a brown sugar/brown butter cookie and bakes up beautifully. the dough is not shaped, or rolled and cut, but divided into balls, dipped in sugar and the cookies cook up like store bought gingersnaps with the cracked centers. very good made up as icecream sandwiches. if you want it, let me know.

[kiliki]

I too have been meaning to make that Gourmet recipe since it came out! Junehl, thanks for the review.

[emilyr]

A bit of serendipty - I thought this recipe sounded great and was all ready to look for recipes, but this Finnish spoon cookie recipe showed up in my email as one of the Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies. I may have to try these this weekend.

[alanamoana]

Are these the same as "sand cookies"? I love those.

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they are definitely sandy in texture. I can imagine they'd be great with the addition of chopped toasted nuts to them.

[Lisa1349]

Also found the gourmet recipe in recipe gullet

Here

[Lisa1349]

I dug out the Gourmet 2005 December issue to confirm that the story was correct that went with the recipe to make sure I had the right cookie. I realize this is my favorite cookie issue of theirs of all time. I make the fig swirls from this issue every year as well.

Thanks for everyone's help. This holiday will be even better now!

[Lindacakes]

Fig swirls? I love figs. Would you be willing to share that recipe?

[chiantiglace]

if you want to kick it up a notch, try adding some non-fat milk powder to the butter before browning.

[junehl]

What ratio and would the non fat milk powder dissolve then caramelize/brown? Or does it have a different effect?

[chiantiglace]

it will caramelize and brown. You can increase it by whatever you want as long as theres anough fat to go around really.

I have gone as high as 50percent milk solids.

[Bruiser]

i've tried the spoon cookies, and to me they were "eh" the first day but got better a couple days after.

I've also cut them out into rounds and baked them that way.

In regards to brown butter cookies in general.... I find any way possible to sneak it in to recipes. I always have some on hand... and just sub it in to any recipe that I can.

Pichet Ong makes an unbelievable peanut butter cookie with brown butter

[caseyell]

Orangette's wonderful blog has a delightful post about making the cookies from the Gourmet recipe

[shaloop]

I have a Cooks' recipe from April this year that is a brown sugar/brown butter cookie and bakes up beautifully. the dough is not shaped, or rolled and cut, but divided into balls, dipped in sugar and the cookies cook up like store bought gingersnaps with the cracked centers. very good made up as icecream sandwiches. if you want it, let me know.

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Not the original poster, but I would like it.