Name: Brown Butter Sugar Cookies with White Chocolate and Pink Blush Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 29 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon table salt; 3 tablespoons malted milk powder; ½ cup unsalted butter (cut into tablespoons); 1 teaspoon espresso powder; ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed); 1 egg; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling dough); flaky sea salt (for sprinkling after baking); 3 tablespoons white chocolate; ½ tablespoon milk or dark chocolate; oil-based pink food coloring

Ingredients

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

½ cup unsalted butter (cut into tablespoons)

1 teaspoon espresso powder

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)

3 tablespoons malted milk powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

3 tablespoons white chocolate

½ tablespoon milk or dark chocolate

Oil-based pink food coloring (optional, for decoration)

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the butter. In a light-colored pan over medium heat, melt ½ cup unsalted butter, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula. After melting, the butter will foam, then the foaming will subside and brown specks will form at the bottom. Watch carefully and remove from heat when it smells nutty and turns golden brown. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon espresso powder.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1⅓ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.

Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar until combined.

Step 5: Add 1 egg, 3 tablespoons malted milk powder, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Whisk until smooth.

Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold together gently with a silicone spatula until no dry spots remain.

Step 7: For regular cookies, scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll in ¼ cup granulated sugar to coat, and place on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart.

Step 8: To make bear-shaped cookies (optional), take about 1 teaspoon of dough, split it in two, roll each in granulated sugar, and place these “ears” on top left and right sides of a cookie dough ball on the baking sheet. Space bears 3 inches apart.

Step 9: Bake for 9–11 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt on top. Let cookies cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 10: For bear faces (optional), melt 3 tablespoons white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl by heating in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth.

Step 11: Use most of the white chocolate in a piping bag to add snouts and ears on the bears.

Step 12: To the remaining white chocolate, add a drop of oil-based pink food coloring and transfer to a piping bag. Use this for blush details. If the chocolate seizes, stir in a teaspoon of neutral oil until smooth.

Step 13: Melt ½ tablespoon milk or dark chocolate in another bowl, transfer to a piping bag, and pipe eyes and nose on the bears.

Step 14: Enjoy your delicious brown butter sugar cookies!

Tips & Variations

Use a light-colored pan to better monitor the butter browning process and prevent burning.

If you don’t have malted milk powder, you can substitute with dry milk powder for a similar taste.

Oil-based food coloring prevents white chocolate from seizing; if unavailable, add a little neutral oil to fix the texture.

For a fun twist, add chopped nuts or cinnamon to the dough.

FAQs

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?

Yes, but reduce or omit the added table salt in the recipe to avoid over-salting your cookies.

What causes the butter to brown instead of just melt?

When butter melts over medium heat, the milk solids separate and begin to cook, creating brown specks and a nutty aroma. This browning intensifies flavor and adds depth to the cookies.