Brown butter shortbread cookies.

It’s a rare recipe that’s as easy as it is fantastic, and this is one of them: brown butter brown sugar shorties. Don’t be put off by the task of browning butter; do it once, and you’ll get the technique down pat. (It’s a matter of melting butter, then cooking it gently, stirring, until the solids at the bottom of the pan begin to brown and smell nutty.) These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth light, with the rich toasty flavor of browned butter and a periodic pop of salt. It’s as if someone transmogrified salted caramel into a shortbread cookie. Perfect.


I stumbled across this recipe for shortbread cookies two years ago on one of my most-bookmarked food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. I’ll send you there for the recipe. If you’re looking for something a little different for your holiday cookie plate, this one fits the bill.

Get the brown butter brown sugar shortie cookie recipe.