Salted Brown Butter Shortbread
Butter makes everything better, right?
But BROWN butter takes everything to the next level. Trust.
It’s toasty and nutty and cozy and what tastebud dreams are made of.
And easy to make.
Put some butter in a pan on medium heat and stir it for 5-7 minutes until you have golden brown bits in your pan. Use as a liquid, or refrigerate and spread on… everything.
Today we’re using brown butter to make super simple shortbread cookies.
Wipe your drool.
Ingredients
224 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks, 1/2 cup), use plant-based for dairy free/vegan cookies
75 grams powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
250 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1-3 tablespoons of water
Directions
Brown your butter: Put your butter in a pan on medium heat. Stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until you have flecks of golden brown bits. Take off the heat and refrigerate until solid.
Cream the brown butter and powdered sugar in your mixing bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix in.
Add flour and salt and mix until it’s even. It will be crumbly.
Add water one tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together. You may not need all 3.
Line an 8”x8” pan with parchment paper. Leave extra paper as “handles” that will help you lift out the shortbread after it’s baked.
Spread the dough into the pan in an even layer. You can add parchment on top and rub a measuring cup over the top to spread and smooth the dough.
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill.
Bake for 60 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
Top with flaked sea salt immediately after taking the pan out of the oven for a little extra goodness.
Once they are cooled, cut into bars of your desired size. I did 6x3 for 18 bars.