Brown Butter Icebox Cookies

Rich, nutty brown butter gives these easy slice-and-bake icebox cookies incredible flavor, while a splash of dark rum adds warmth and depth. Roll the logs in sugar for crisp, sparkling edges, then decorate with Christmas icing if desired.

Course Dessert - Cookies

Cuisine American - Vintage, Christmas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chilling time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings

Calories 103kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum optional - can substitute with 1 tablespoon water or cooled espresso
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold water more as needed
Additional granulated sugar for rolling the dough logs

Instructions

Brown the Butter

Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
Continue cooking, stirring or swirling frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids on the bottom turn deep golden brown and smell toasted and nutty.
Remove from the heat immediately. Scrape the butter and all of those browned milk solids into a mixing bowl.
Cool slightly. Let the browned butter cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. It should still be liquid but no longer piping hot.

Mix the dough

Stir the sugar, vanilla, rum, 1 tablespoon of water, and salt into the cooled, melted brown butter. Mix in the egg yolks until well combined.
Add the flour. Stir in the flour just until well mixed. The dough will be soft and somewhat crumbly.
Adjust if necessary. Squeeze some dough firmly in your hand. If it won't hold together or falls apart when you try to shape it, mix in cold water 1 teaspoon at a time, stopping as soon as the dough can be firmly compressed into a log. Don't add enough to make the dough sticky.

Shape the logs and chill

Divide the dough in half and firmly compress each half into a smooth log.
Roll the outside of each log in granulated sugar.
Wrap tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the logs are completely firm. Overnight is fine, too.

Slice and bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap the chilled dough and cut into approximately ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when they're set and the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Don't wait for the tops to brown. They should be 195℉ when the center is checked with an instant read thermometer.
Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. They'll be delicate while warm and will firm as they cool.
Once completely cool, decorate as desired.

Notes

Storage:

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week, sometimes longer if it's not super humid. If they are decorated place parchment between the layers. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.

You can freeze the logs of dough for up to 3 months and slice and bake as needed.

Tips

Don't throw away the brown bits in the butter. The toasted milk solids are where much of the brown-butter flavor lives, so scrape every last bit from the pan.
For an even more Christmas-y version: roll the dough logs in red, green, and white sanding sugar instead of plain granulated sugar. Then you could skip the icing entirely.

Nutrition