Brown butter cookies (the best base recipe)
I’ve been working on developing a base recipe for a delicious, perfectly textured cookie that you can mix and match flavours and toppings… and I think I’m pretty close! This is my brown butter cookie recipe that comes together in no time at all, freezes wonderfully, and can be riffed on to your heart’s content.
Classic chocolate chip? Yep. Nuts take your fancy? Go for it. Caramels, seeds, jams? Tick, tick, tick.
Pictured and featured here are my gochujang caramel brown butter cookies. O. M. G. Sweet, salty, funky, crunchy, chewy - this one’s got it all.
Based on Butternut Bakery’s brown butter miso cookie recipe (which I love)!
Ingredients
Makes 18-24 cookies, depending on your scoop size
110g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
1 large egg, room temp
Liquid/paste flavours (eg vanilla, extracts, zests)
165g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking (bicarb) soda
1 tsp salt
150-180g mix ins (optional)
Toppings for finishing (optional) eg sesame seeds, extra flaky salt, chopped nuts
Method
In a small pot, brown the butter on a low heat and stirring constantly to avoid burning. It should bubble and splutter quickly, then the foam will slow and become very fragrant. Remove from heat when the milk solids are golden brown (it will continue to brown so watch out) and pour into a large bowl to cool down.
Add both sugars, egg, and any liquid / paste flavours or zest. Whisk vigorously well to combine until smooth.
in a separate small bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients (including salt) together to combine before folding into the butter and sugar mixture. Before all the flour is incorporated, add your mix-ins and fold just until all flour disappears.
Scoop dough into equal sized balls and place on a lined tray. Sprinkle any toppings on each dough ball. Chill for at least 2 hours (best overnight) until dough is firm - alternatively, you can freeze the dough at this point.
Preheat oven to 160 C fan. Place a few dough balls on a lined tray, well spaced, and bake for 15-17 minutes until edges are golden brown and centre is just set. Allow to cool for a few minutes on tray before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
For gochujang caramel brown butter cookies:
Make gochujang caramel using my base recipe (coming soon) or use a store bought caramel and stir in a few teaspoons of gochujang to combine.
Once your dough is prepared, dollop teaspoons of caramel then use a butter knife to ripple through the dough (you might use 3-4 heaped teaspoons in total).
Chill the dough briefly for 10 mins before scooping, then proceed with the recipe as written.
