Brown Butter Bourbon Spice Cookies

You know how the simplest of cookies can have the best flavor? I look at a lot of blogs and I see all sorts of fancy cookies that have many layers and are cookies inside of other cookies. Those always look great, but sometimes you just want something down to earth and simple. This is especially true after a long week, which this has certainly been a long but good week. I saw these cookies online and they just sounded great.

While they do look plain, they have a couple of complex flavors. Browned butter adds a subtle but beautiful flavor to so many things. Pair that with bourbon and fall spices and you have a winning combination. I used sweet tea bourbon, so that added even more interest. The original recipe called for equal amounts of sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar. I only regularly carry one type of brown sugar and I alternate between light and dark. I had a little dark brown sugar but I would say I used 90% light brown sugar.

This recipe makes about 3-1/2 dozen, although the original recipe said it made about 15. They must have been really big cookies! The dough is pretty great so if you want fewer cookies, just eat more of the dough! You can really taste the bourbon in the dough, but that flavor is less pronounced after the cookies are baked. These bake up to be perfectly round, fairly plain cookies but they are anything but boring.

Brown Butter Bourbon Spice Cookies

12 tablespoons butter

11-1/4 ounces flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

7 ounces brown sugar

3-1/2 ounces sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons bourbon

Make the browned butter: place the butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium. Once the butter melts and begins to foam, start whisking. Whisk the butter until it becomes golden brown and has a nutty fragrance. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. In a large mixer bowl, combine the cooled browned butter, brown sugar and sugar. Beat on medium until combined. Stir in the egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the bourbon and mix until combined.

Shape into balls and bake for 9-12 minutes until set. Allow to cool on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Bake Your Day