If you’re already addicted to the nutty, toasted goodness of brown butter, you know just how amazing these will be. For the rest of you, welcome to the club and you are about to get obsessed. Browning butter is so easy and takes just a couple minutes but totally transforms the recipe!
I love it when cookie dough keeps it simple: butter + sugars + spices + flour. Just enough for a wonderful deep flavor from pantry ingredients that you can whip together at any time. These latte cookies have a dark, intense flavor that isn’t too sweet.
It seems so reasonable to set a couple small cookies next to your morning coffee. Turns out that only works if you hide the rest away – I was reaching for another, and another, after every sip!
Time to ship them away to friends who I don’t see nearly often enough. We’re way overdue for a good long coffee date, but these will have to do for now.
The cookie dough comes together in 10 minutes and needs to freeze before baking, so you can make the dough ahead of time – these are basically homemade slice-and-bakes! Slide a few in the oven right after dinner for warm, fresh cookies, or make a double batch to keep plenty on hand.
Brown Butter Latte Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 T. water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 T. instant espresso
- 2 t. vanilla
- ¼ t. cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 cups flour
- sugar for topping
Instructions
- Melt butter over low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Once melted, the water in the butter evaporates quickly and bubbles form. Swirl constantly to reduce splatter.
- When the butter starts to foam, stir constantly and scrap the bottom so the milk solids don’t stick and burn.
- As soon as dark golden specks appear and it smells nutty & toasty, immediately remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.
- Let cool for several minutes, then beat in water, sugars, espresso, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Slowly add flour and beat just until combined.
- Scoop dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll into a log about 1½" wide and seal tightly. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Unwrap the dough and slice log into quarter-inch pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set and center is still soft.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool and immediately dust tops with sugar.
Brown Butter Latte Cookies are just a perfect substitute for a cup of joe when you are running out the door in the morning! Take them with you and nibble while you commute!
These are great! I substituted whole wheat flour and sprinkled powdered sugar on top just as they came out of the oven so that it melted to them. MMMMM, sugar.
Great idea using powdered sugar. I’ll try that. Also, I like the low sugar version, I.e., no sugar topping.