Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies and Company!
Last year I received a message from a friend asking if I had a recipe for Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies. Nope, never heard of them....she explained that they are made on the central coast and that they are a "little piece of heaven". Well, we go to the coast...why haven't I seen this place? I did a little searching and sent a few links to my friend. It seems that a number of ladies out there have tried to replicate the recipe. That is such a tough thing to do.
On a recent trip to the little town of Cayucos on the Central California Coast, what did I spy....the Brown Butter Cookie Company...home of the original Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookie!
I have now tasted Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies and yes, they are a little piece of heaven and yes, they are addictive and no, they do not share the recipe! (Darn...the pounds gained from eating so many cookies and darn, they don't share the recipe!)
This sent me back to the web. I found two different recipes and decided to "just pick one".
Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
Sea Salt for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 325° F. and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until it starts to caramelize. It should smell nutty and you should see brown bits at the bottom of the pan. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT as you will have to start all over.
Pour the brown butter into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and vanilla. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and the baking soda. Add the mixture to the butter and sugar. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Roll the cookies into balls (about the size of a large marble) and sprinkle with sea salt. Press the top of the cookies lightly.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Overcooking will make them dry and crumbly.
PRINTABLE RECIPE
I was at my daughter's house and I was happy to have my granddaughter help baking!
Here's the report.
Taste: The flavor wasn't as rich as the original. They weren't as sweet and the browned butter flavor wasn't as distinctive. (Maybe I didn't brown it long enough.)
Texture: They seemed just a bit dry. They cracked possibly due to the dryness. Might this be the stiffness of the dough? I adjusted the baking time along the way and it didn't seem to help.
Conclusion: More sugar, brown the butter longer, use less flour and decrease the baking time....
Miss S. and I appeal to all bakers. We would like your thoughts and some ideas on how to improve the cookies.
Did we have difficulty eating them? Absolutely not!
We even stole her daddy's beautiful Michael Lax dish from the 1950's for serving. It is from the "Capri" line. Thank you, Mr. K. We were very careful.
I am sharing today at Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm.
I'm SO glad you posted this! I bought some of these cookies and ate them all before I got home. They are so addictive! Luckily, or unluckily, it's too far to drive for a snack.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try these with your recommended adjustments.
Your little helper is too cute!
Good luck, Susan. They are delicious and addictive cookies! Let me know how yours turn out.
DeleteHi, Susan. Your cookies are now on my to-do list. Your wee helper is adorable! I've been out of pocket since early morning, but I saw your message and deleted the extra link. Thanks so much for joining Foodie Friday.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful weekend.
These remind me of a jacked-up snickdoodle cookie. Oh, I can see why these would be so addictive. Love it.
ReplyDeleteVelva
What fun that you have your little sweetie pie supervising the cookie making. I loved it when my grandkids came to help. This is my favorite kind of cookie.
ReplyDeleteThese sound wonderful, so sorry they didn't live up to your expectations. I bet if you made them again, they'd be perfect. Of course I did't spend too much time staring at the cookies when you have that darling little boy, definitely a bit of competition! How fun it is to have these little helpers.
ReplyDeleteThe cookies sound great, hope you figure out the recipe soon! Your cute assistant puts Earl to shame:@)
ReplyDeleteBrowned butter would boost the flavour tenfold. Somewher on my lists and lists of things to make I have some browned butter chocolate chip cookies.
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable grandbaby and look how attentive he is watching you. The cookies sound fabulous and it's so nice you were able to visit their store. What a charming facade.
ReplyDeleteSam
Now my curiosity is piqued because I've never had a browned butter cookie before. Hope you can duplicate the recipe and let us know how :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet little helper you have!
I've never heard of or had Brown Butter Cookies. Thanks for this recipe. Love your little helper. What a sweetie.
ReplyDeleteI have an old-fashioned butter scotch cookie recipe that I might use and just brown the butter for these. http://eliotseats.com/?p=3139
ReplyDeleteI want one now.
The baby is adorable!! You'll have so much fun in the kitchen as she grows. The cookies sound good, hopefully you can work out the little details.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate....I would let the butter cool completely before adding and the sugar and the rest of the ingredients. I think it would keep the flour from cooking before it is actually baked and your cookie texture would be more like a shortbread.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your great posts.
Now I am curious, they do sound good. Sweet baby! and like the dish too.
ReplyDeleteSo many things to like about this post! Your granddaughter is precious. the cookies sound delicious, and the plate is great! I will have to try the cookies!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like to make it not too difficult, i will test at home after work.Thanks a lot for the recipe
ReplyDelete