Brown butter, brown butter, brown butter. If I could write poetry without causing my high school English teacher to roll in his grave, I would pen an ode to brown butter. In my last post, I topped Garlic Shrimp & Parmesan Polenta Stacks with the ethereal sauce. As I was flipping through the October issue of Gourmet Magazine (how I will miss you!), my attention was snagged by the article on brown butter. Variations on scrambled eggs, pound cake and chicken with capers were all included. However, it was the cookies that jumped out at me. Gourmet used pecans in their cookies, which I replaced with toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh rosemary. With a small amount of flour and a generous helping of brown butter, these cookies spread out to a thin, crisp, lacy cookie, reminiscent of a florentine. The taste is beyond description. Let’s just say that you’ll become brown butter’s newest poet laureate.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Place 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl.
Place 1/2 cup pine nuts in a small skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Watch these carefully because these little suckers will burn if you turn your back for even a moment.
Place 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl.
Chill the butter in the freezer for 15 minutes, until the butter congeals.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine congealed butter, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 large eggs.
Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the toasted pine nuts and 2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary. Stir until combined.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake until the cookies are deep golden brown, 11-13 minutes, switching the baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. They will become crisp as they cool.
Cookin’ Canuck’s Garlic Shrimp & Parmesan Polenta Stacks with Brown Butter Sauce
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The Kitchn’s Brown Butter Ice Cream
Smitten Kitchen’s Cherry Brown Butter Bars
Recipe Girl’s Browned Butter Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Brown Butter, Pine Nut, & Rosemary Cookies
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Place pine nuts in a small skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully so they don’t burn.
Place butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl. Chill the butter in the freezer for 15 minutes, until the butter congeals.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine congealed butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and eggs. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the toasted pine nuts and 2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary. Stir until combined.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon tablespoons of batter onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are deep golden brown, 11-13 minutes, switching the baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. They will become crisp as they cool.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Angie's Recipes says
I could easily tell how crisp and delicious these cookies would be! The first picture looks just stunning!
Jenn says
Ooo…Thin crispy cookies. I'm sold. They looks really delicious. I love the rosemary in this, too.
Karine says
Is it me or I have never had brown butter (or at least from what I recall)? However, it sure sounds delicious! I should definitively try brown butter 🙂
Divina Pe says
Can you deliver this to my house in the Philippines? 🙂 This is a great treat. I'm afraid I may not be able to stop once I begin eating.
Tangled Noodle says
I don't know why it's taken me so long to find out how incredible the flavor of browned butter is! These cookies look delicious – I'm looking forward to trying this recipe.
Gera @ SweetsFoods says
The crispy cookies are totally maddening to see in the screen and not having them on my desk.
A gorgeous recipe … thin cookies more I can eat.. and more dangerous hehe 🙂
Cheers!
Gera
Gaby says
crispy cookies – yes please!! Those look great!
CaptnRachel aka Tha Pizza Cutta says
I'm surprised my keyboard works with all this drool all over it. These might be part of my Christmas cookie extravaganza. Thanks! 🙂
penny aka jeroxie says
I love brown sugar. And the crispy cookie is defintely a hit with me.
lululu says
the cookies look so crispy. i could easily finish a dozen, look at how thin they are!
Diana Bauman says
What a creation! I've never used brown butter, but have been wanting to 🙂
Kalyn says
Yes, I'm guessing that just about anything would taste good with browned butter on it! The cookies look great!
Elin says
Another winner CC, I am sold! Have added to my To-Do List 🙂
Jessie says
wonderful cookies, must make these sometime
Chow and Chatter says
oh wow so creative
Marillyn Beard says
Wow! So unique! I've never heard or tried that combination before… I bet it totally melts in your mouth!
Lynnylu says
Pine nuts, rosemary and brown butter-classic flavors-yum! Great looking cookies.
Christine says
Again, your picture makes me drooling.
Your descriptions of brown sugar is incredible. Can't write better than yours.
Brown sugar has a heavenly taste that makes cookies smell magnificently.
Now, in my cooking, I use more and more raw sugar, brown sugar, and try to use less white sugar.
ValleyWriter says
Hmmm… cookies with pinenuts and rosemary is an interesting combination. Are they like a savory tea biscuit-type cookie? Or are they still sweet and dessert-like? Very intriguing!
AppleC says
Pretty neat recipe. I bet all those flavors come together for a super experience on the tongue.
Dianasaur Dishes says
I totally agree about brown butter. There is something so perfect about it. I love it in sweet and savory dishes.
My Man's Belly says
If it's got brown butter in it…I'm all for it. That ingredient has become my obsession of late.
Miranda says
I have not used brown butter! It is a new must try in my tiny kitchen.
Thanks CC!
French Cooking for Dummies says
Yum Yum Yum…
Stacy says
Savory and sweet…I love it! Such a fabulous idea!
My Little Space says
Love the crispy look! I need at least 2 dozen LOL! haha…
Sophie says
these are lovely appetizers to nibble on,…
MMMMMMMMMM,…
Tasty Eats At Home says
I love you.
These sound amazing. Like, I'm making plans to make them ASAP amazing.
Amanda says
How beautiful. Those cookies look poetic! 🙂 Love the plate too!
Mr. P says
They sound great (alliteration on the 'b'), and look lovely too.
If I make 'em, I might flavour them with bourbon. Then it's really pleasing to the ear!! 🙂
Cara says
what a great sounding combination! I confess that I finally discovered browned butte, by accident last night. Honestly all the other times I've tried, I have never seen it turn brown. Well, now I know what to do!
Anonymous says
I made these last night, as part of my xmas cookie prep (along with the peppermint cookie bark). They were amazing. Crisp, buttery, awesomeness. I'm sure I'll be making more before xmas. I might sub cashews for the pine nuts (due to expense), but, think these are perfection!