Browned Butter Cookies

Browning the butter before mixing it into the dough is the single move that sets these cookies apart from every other simple butter cookie out there. Those five minutes in a heavy skillet transform plain butter into something that smells like toasted hazelnuts and tastes deeply caramelized.

With only five ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. The browned butter IS the flavor, backed up by vanilla and a modest amount of sugar. The dough comes together stiff enough to roll into small balls, and pressing each one down with your thumb creates a little well that’s perfect for filling with jam, chocolate, or just leaving as-is.

Watch them closely in the oven. You want them firm but not dark, since the butter is already browned and extra color pushes the flavor from nutty to bitter.

Pro Tips

• Use a heavy-bottomed skillet (not nonstick) for browning the butter. The light-colored pan lets you see the butter change color so you can pull it at the right moment.
• The butter will foam, then the foam subsides, then golden-brown flecks appear at the bottom. That’s when it’s done. Pull it immediately.
• Let the browned butter cool slightly before beating with sugar. If it’s too hot, it will melt the sugar into a greasy puddle instead of creaming properly.

Variations

• Fill the thumbprint with raspberry jam or lemon curd before baking.
• Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar after baking for a snowy, melt-in-your-mouth finish.
• Add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking to contrast the nuttiness.