December is upon us and even though December means we’re careening headfirst into the dead of winter and cold and no sunlight, it also means holiday cookie season. Holiday cookie season is an excuse to make cookies at any time of day and share them (or eat them all yourself if you’re like me). These shortbreads are crunchy yet delicate, and just simple enough to whip up at a moment’s notice if you have a few pantry staples. The almond flour lets this cookie barely hold itself together and gives it a nice background nuttiness that I want in every single dessert from here until the end of time.
brown butter almond shortbread
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for shaping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups finely ground almond flour
1 egg
Flaky salt, for finishing
Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan, heat the sticks of butter over medium heat, whisking often. The butter will bubble violently (this is all the water evaporating out of it), and then get foamy, then start to form golden bits. Once you reach a nice medium golden color, remove from heat (it’ll continue browning off heat), and add the cinnamon and cardamom. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or until it’s solid once again.
In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the now-solid-and-spiced brown butter with both sugars, vanilla, and salt until it looks super light and fluffy (like the kind of frosting you can buy out of a can). Add both flours and beat until barely combined into a crumbly dough.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and press it together to form one cohesive shape. Divide the dough in half. Take each piece and wrap it in a large piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, form each wrapped piece into a log shape about a 1/2 inch thick, like you’re playing with play doh, and twist the ends of the plastic wrap so it stays very tight. Don’t worry about making a perfect cylinder, because I certainly don’t care, and neither will the people you serve these cookies to. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, until it’s very solid.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the egg with about a tablespoon of water to make your egg wash, and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure out about a cup of sugar for rolling your dough in.
Working with one piece at a time, brush each dough log with the egg wash and roll it in the sugar to create those crystalline crunchy edges. Slice the logs into 1/2 inch rounds, and place on the lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until they’re nicely browned on top and look very crispy. Immediately upon pulling them out of the oven, give each one a nice sprinkling of flaky salt. Let them cool completely before serving so they set up nicely.
Serve with: a very bitter mocha (peppermint or otherwise), or a cup of masala chai.
Ta-ta for now,
Nicki (from my teeny tiny kitchen)