Browned Butter
Shortbread
MAKES ABOUT 36
Browned butter gives these melt-in-
your-mouth cookies a nutty fl avor.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
salted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons whole milk
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar,
sifted
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise,
seeds scraped and reserved
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line
2 large rimmed baking sheets with
parchment paper. Place a medium
bowl over a bowl of ice water. - In a medium saucepan, melt
butter over medium heat. Cook,
stirring frequently, until butter
turns a medium-brown color
and has a nutty aroma, about
10 minutes. Pour browned butter
into prepared bowl in ice bath;
stir in milk. Continue stirring
until slightly thickened, about
5 minutes. Remove from ice bath;
let stand at room temperature
until it reaches the consistency of
softened butter, about 10 minutes. - Beat browned butter mixture
with a mixer at medium speed
until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add confectioners’ sugar and
reserved vanilla bean seeds; beat
until combined. Reduce mixer
speed to low. Add flour, and beat
until combined. Wrap dough in
plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
20 minutes. - On a lightly floured surface,
roll dough to ¼-inch thickness.
Using a 2-inch fluted round cutter,
cut dough, and place on prepared
pans. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. - Bake for 7 minutes. Rotate pans,
and bake until light golden brown,
about 7 minutes more. Let cool on
pans.