Brown Butter Shortbread Recipes

BROWN BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C and get a 9"X13" pan out- no need to grease it.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a regular medium-sized bowl add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix on low/medium speed until the butter is mixed in and pea-size pieces of butter are left OR mix by using your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. If you grab a handful of the dough you should be able to squeeze it in your hand into one piece.
• Transfer the dough to the pan and press down evenly. Use a rolling pin or glass to roll the shortbread dough to ensure it's tightly in the pan. Using a butter knife score the shortbread, basically marking the shortbread - you are not cutting all the way through, into whichever size pieces you want. Scoring up, down, and across. Prick all over with a fork. If your fork sticks and pulls some of the shortbread up then gently use your clean finger next to the fork as you press down to kind of hold the shortbread in place.
• Bake for approximately 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown on edges. Once baked cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top and shake pan side to side to distribute evenly. Cut on the previously scored marks and store them in an airtight container. Last for up to a week.

BROWN-BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath with a medium metal bowl set inside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Immediately pour butter into bowl in ice-water bath and whisk in milk. Stir mixture constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl, until mixture begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.
• Remove bowl from ice-water bath and let stand until mixture thickens to the consistency of room-temperature butter, about 30 minutes.
• Beat butter mixture with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and continue to beat for 2 minutes more. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour.
• Butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly into bottom of pan using plastic wrap. (Make sure dough is flat; a small offset spatula may help.) Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut through dough to make 8 wedges using a sharp paring knife and a ruler. Cut a round from the center using a 2 1/4-inch ovenproof cookie cutter; discard dough. Return cutter to hole. Prick wedges all over with a wooden skewer. Refrigerate, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle sanding sugar evenly over shortbread. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Let cool in pan set on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut along lines into wedges. Let cool completely on rack.

3-INGREDIENT BROWN-BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until milk solids begin to brown, about 6 minutes (do not burn). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Chill until just firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour and salt, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, just to blend (do not overwork dough).
• Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment. Form dough into a rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment over dough. Roll out dough to a 8x6" rectangle about 1/2" thick.
• Remove top sheet of parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to a rimmed baking sheet. Using a fork, pierce dough all over, spacing 1" apart. Bake shortbread, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and firm to the touch, 55-65 minutes.
• Cut shortbread lengthwise into 1" strips on baking sheet while still warm. Cut each strip crosswise into thirds. Let cool completely.
• Do Ahead
• Cookies can be made 2 days ahead; cover and store at room temperature.

BROWNED BUTTER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy two-quart saucepan, melt all the butter over low heat. Cook butter 8 to 12 minutes, stirring consistently, until butter solids at bottom of pan are a rich brown color and butter has a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn the butter.
• Pour browned butter into a bowl; refrigerate until almost firm, about a half hour.
• In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat sugar with cooled browned butter.
• Mix flour and salt into butter mixture by hand -- don't overwork the dough. It will be crumbly.
• Pat shortbread crumbs into pan of choice. I like to use a square pan.
• Bake shortbread 40 to 45 minutes, until browned around the edge. Watch carefully lest they burn. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Remove shortbread from pan to cutting board. While still warm, cut the whole in half, in half again, and in half again until you have small squares. These are rich, and shouldn't be large.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until the butter and sugar are combined so you don't whip a lot of air into it. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.
• Scoop out 1-ounce pieces of dough (about a tablespoon), roll each one into a ball, then roll it into a 2 1/2-inch-long log. Place the logs 2 inches apart on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies start to brown around the edges and spring back when lightly touched. Set aside to cool on the pans.
• For the coating, place the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture vigorously and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted.
• Drag half of the rounded top of each cookie through the chocolate and place it, chocolate side up, on a piece of parchment paper. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle on the pecans. Repeat with all the cookies. Set aside for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to firm.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter, Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt and dark brown sugar in a bowl for 5 minutes with an electric mixer on high speed. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
• Scrape dough onto a sheet of parchment paper; shape into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap with the parchment paper. Refrigerate until chilled completely, about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil cookie sheets.
• Remove dough from parchment and roll in demerara sugar to coat. Slice into rounds 1/4 inch thick and place on cookie sheets.
• Sprinkle each cookie with additional demerara sugar and a pinch of Diamond Crystal® Coarse Sea Salt.
• Bake until very lightly browned and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Pat into a 1/3-in.-thick rectangle measuring 11 in. x 8 in. , Cut into 2-in. x 1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork. , Bake at 300° for 25 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you want to make yourself a guide, use a 6-inch round cake pan or bowl to trace two circles onto the parchment, then turn the parchment over (so the ink won't touch the dough). Or just wing it.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed just until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (about 306 grams each) and shape into disks. Place one disk on one half of the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to flatten the dough into a 6-inch round. Repeat with the second disk, leaving 1/2 inch of space between the rounds. If using, brush a coat of egg wash onto the surface of each round.
• Use a sharp knife to score each round gently into 8 wedges--press down just enough to barely cut into the dough, to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Bake until the edges of the shortbread are just beginning to turn golden and the surface appears set, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Cool the shortbread completely on the baking sheet, then cut along the score lines into wedges.

BUTTERY 3-INGREDIENT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press dough into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Prick with a fork., Bake until light brown, 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In large mixer bowl, beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla; then gradually beat in flour, blending thoroughly.
• Gather dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (1 hour) or for up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly floured board, roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut, place on lightly greased sheets. Bake 35-40 minutes or until firm to the touch (press very lightly to test). Transfer to racks and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

BROWNED BUTTER PAN SHORTBREAD WITH GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Prepare an ungreased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
• Melt 1 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; continue to cook stirring constantly and watching closely until the butter JUST starts to turn golden (about 4-6 minutes, the butter will get foamy and bubble!).
• Remove from heat and refrigerate for 7-8 minutes.
• In a large bowl combine the browned butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until well combined.
• Reduce the speed to low and add in all-purpose flour and cake flour; beat until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Press the dough into an ungreased jelly-roll pan.
• Prick all over with fork.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes or until set but not too brown.
• Cool 5 minutes.
• While the dough is still hot, slice into squares, rectangles, diamonds or triangles using a sharp knife.
• To make the glaze; in a heavy saucepan brown 3 tablespoons butter (this should take about 2-3 minutes) cool for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl combine the browned butter with all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the water; beat or whisk add in enough water to create desired glazing consistancy.
• Drizzle over the COOLED shortbread.
• Let stand for 30 minutes.

BROWN BUTTER PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Grind pecans in processor until coarse meal forms. Melt 1/2 cup butter in small skillet over medium heat. Cook until dark amber, stirring often, about 6 minutes (do not burn). Pour through fine strainer into small bowl. Chill just until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk flour and salt to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown butter, 1/2 cup butter, and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla, then nuts. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed just to blend.
• Transfer dough to sheet of parchment paper. Form dough into rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment paper over dough. Press or roll dough into 12x8- inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to baking sheet. Using fork, pierce dough all over, spacing 1 inch apart.
• Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm to touch, about 55 minutes. Leaving shortbread on baking sheet, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into quarters. Cool 10 minutes on sheet on rack. Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

LEMON BARS WITH BROWN-BUTTER SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; line baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides.
• Make the crust: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until barely browned in color. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into the bowl of an electric mixer, leaving any burned sediment behind. Transfer butter to refrigerator until solidified. When solidified, remove from refrigerator and let soften slightly.
• Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until butter is smooth. Sift flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into bowl; mix on low speed until combined.
• Transfer dough to prepared pan and press evenly into bottom of the pan using the back of a measuring cup; it should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to refrigerator; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Transfer baking pan to oven and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. If crust appears to be browning unevenly, rotate pan.
• Make the filling: Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Add lemon juice and zest; whisk to dissolve granulated sugar. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk until well combined.
• When the crust is golden brown, pull out oven rack and evenly pour filling mixture directly over hot crust (if crust has finished baking before filling has been made, return crust to oven for a few minutes so that it is hot). If air bubbles appear on the surface, remove them using a kitchen torch held 4 to 5 inches from the surface, moving in a slow even motion. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake until center is set, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove baking pan from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let lemon bars cool completely before covering and transferring to refrigerator until chilled.
• Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, cut lemon bars into twenty-four 2-inch squares and dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 9-inch round pan.
• Beat spread and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes. Beat in flour on low speed or with spoon. Spread evenly in pan. Partially cut surface into 16 wedges.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Pour melted chocolate into small plastic food-storage bag. Twist bag to seal; cut tiny corner off bag and drizzle chocolate over shortbread. Cut into 16 wedges.