2 sticks (1 cup) butter, browned and cooled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Sugar for sprinkling, optional
Brown the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let cool for about 2 min., then whisk in 1 large or 2 small ice cubes; set aside to cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Mix flour, cooled butter, sugar, vanilla and salt on low speed using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until just blended. Mixture will look crumbly and sandy. Increase speed to medium-low until dough starts to clump together.
Remove dough and roll out to 1/4 in. thickness between two pieces of waxed paper. Chill dough for at least 20 minutes, then cut into desired shapes. Re-roll scraps, chill and repeat. Alternatively, just cut into squares or rectangles with a butter knife. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired, and bake for 20 minutes, or until just done. Let sit for about 2 minutes and then remove to racks to cool fully.
Makes about 36 2-in. cookies, more or less depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
Link to printable recipe here.
Tips--If you are in a hurry, you can place the saucepan of browned butter in a sink of cold water to cool it more quickly. However, stir it often and don't forget about it, or it will end up solid. This is a more crumbly dough than regular shortbread, so the longer you chill it, the easier it is to work with. See my plain shortbread recipe for more tips.
Now for the BS. This might be my new favorite cookie recipe. I can't believe how good they are! The browned butter plus the brown sugar gives them the most exceptional flavor. These cookies are somehow crisp and tender at the same time. They almost melt in your mouth. I read somewhere that the best shortbread has brown sugar, and I might just agree now! It makes me want to play around more, see what happens if I change just the sugar or just the butter in my regular recipe. Stay tuned...
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