Brown Butter Amish Sugar Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
The very BEST sugar cookies -- soft, puffy, and melt-in-your-mouth texture, now made with brown butter in both the cookie dough and the icing! Brown Butter Amish Sugar Cookies are next-level incredible, but no surprise there: brown butter makes everything better.
Servings 48
Ingredients
For Brown Butter Amish Sugar Cookies:
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
For Brown Butter Icing:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
For Brown Butter Amish Sugar Cookies:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until it foams, the foam dissipates, it turns a deep golden brown, and develops brown flecks and a nutty fragrance, about 10 minutes or so. Toward the later stages, around the time it begins to foam, watch the brown butter very closely. It can go from 'brown' to 'burned' very quickly.
- Remove from heat, and cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer to a heatproof jar or bowl, making sure to get alllllll the particles and brown bits from the pan... these are important!
- Refrigerate brown butter until firm.
- Bring brown butter to room temperature... I know, I know.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the brown butter, oil, and sugars until combined.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- In two additions, add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Dough will be thick and a little crumbly.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets.
- Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes, or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned.
- Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For Brown Butter Icing:
- Following the same instructions above, brown the butter.
- Remove from heat, cool 2-3 minutes, and *carefully* transfer to a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Add 3 cups powdered sugar, salt, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. The icing could appear to seize or separate at some point, but it just needs mixed thoroughly to emulsify it. Keep beating til smooth if you encounter texture issues -- it's not ruined, just needs a good mixing. Icing should be thin enough to spread, but not runny or drippy. Add additional milk or powdered sugar, as needed, to achieve desired consistency.
- Ice cookies, and allow to set.
- Store cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper or foil between layers of cookies. At room temperature, cookies will keep for 4-5 days. They'll keep for about a week if stored in the fridge. They freeze beautifully if well-wrapped!
Notes
These are good for at least a week, but best within the first 3-4 days. After a few days, they get crumbly and a bit on the drier side - still a delicious cookie though.
These freeze really well! Iced or plain, they freeze beautifully.