Browned Butter Cookies

I got this recipe from a friend's blog, made them on Saturday, and decided they were so good I had to share on this blog.

From one blog to another!

Recipe found on justcookalready.com

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoon soda

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups flour

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and salt. Then add the soda and the extract. Fold in the flour. Stir until combined. Form balls the size of walnuts. Chill dough balls for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Dip the top in sugar. Press flat with the bottom of a glass and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't over cook. Remove from oven and let the cookies stand for 1 minute on the cookie sheet. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with browned butter frosting (listed below)

Browned Butter Frosting

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup heavy cream or more desired consistency

(I wanted really think icing so I could swirl them like the photo so I used more sugar)

In a small skillet, brown butter over medium heat until golden brown flecks appear. Butter will become a little foamy. Stir now and then to make sure the butter cooks evenly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Beat on medium high until a creamy texture to your liking forms. Spread onto cooled butter crinkles.

I am going to make them for book club on the 15th, so you can all try them!

Chocolate Valentine Cookies

I thought these cookies were so yummy. I rolled the dough out and used heart-shaped cookie cutters. They were a different twist to the traditional sugar dough cut-out cookies.

2 sticks of butter
1 C of packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 1/4 C of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (don't use if you used salted butter)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C cocoa powder

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In a different bowl and with a mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until it's fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture, in two or three batches, mixing well after each addition. Wrap dough in plastic or put in a zip loc bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 the dough on a floured surface and let it sit 5 or 10 minutes. Roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut with cookie cutters. Gather scraps and re-roll and cut again. Then repeat with the other 1/2 of dough.

Place cookies on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes or until set, but don't let them brown. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.

Dust with powdered sugar, frost with Nutella, frost with frosting, or do nothing at all. If you have letter stencils, you could use powdered sugar and the stencils and spell out LOVE or someone's name, etc.... on the cookies.

This recipe is from thepioneerwoman.com
They were super good!!

The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... In the World

Seriously.  If you were at Krystal's baby shower, I think you will agree.  This recipe is from a blog that I follow (hereistherecipe.blogspot.com) and this lady has been on a quest to find the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and has spent years tweaking it.  I think she did it.  2 notes on this recipe.  First, it's good to remember that while cooking is spontaneous and inventive, baking is not- it is meant to be an exact science so follow the recipe, dang it! Second, don't try it if you are contemplating a diet- there's a lot of butter in it. And other yummy non-diet friendly stuff.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup, 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs. Ghirardelli chocolate chips (half milk, half dark)

Instructions:
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until just blended.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Mix in vanilla.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Now here is the secret to what makes these cookies so good (aside from the butter and the Ghirardelli).  Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (I just use a 1/4 measuring cup) to form dough into balls.  Yeah, they will look huge.  Don't be intimidated.  Freeze the dough (good up to 1 month) and bake the cookies as you want them at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes.  It's brilliant- you can always have a warm, gooey cookie.  Plus, it keeps the cookies nice and fluffy.

Enjoy!

pumpkin cookies

it's fall. and that means baking. these pumpkin cookies are melt-in-your-mouth, even-if-you-don't-like-pumpkin-cookies-i-bet-you'll-like-these type cookies.

make them. you won't be disappointed.

best pumpkin cookies

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin (you can use the canned from the store)

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

Cream shortening and sugars well. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; mix well. Sift dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture and blend well. Drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool and frost.

Frosting:

3 T. butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter and sugar in a saucepan: bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Cool Slightly. Add milk, beat until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar to make a spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cookies.