Brown Butter Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 2 Mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Whisk
- 2 Baking sheet
- 2 Parchment paper
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 Measuring cups set
- 1 Measuring spoons set
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 2 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup toffee bits plus extra for topping
- 2 ounce dark chocolate finely chopped, optional for drizzle
- 1 tablespoon milk optional for thinning chocolate
- flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Brown the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the milk solids turn deep amber and smell nutty, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour the brown butter into a bowl, scrape in the browned bits, and cool to room temperature until just starting to firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl whisk flour and kosher salt together and set aside.
- Beat the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and slightly fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until a soft dough forms with no dry streaks.
- Fold in the toffee bits with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a 2-inch diameter log, and wrap tightly in parchment paper.
- Chill the logs until very firm, at least 1 hour (or freeze 20 to 30 minutes for quicker firming).
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the dough logs into 1/3-inch thick rounds with a sharp knife, rotating the log occasionally to keep slices even.
- Arrange slices 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and press a few extra toffee bits on top of each cookie.
- Bake one sheet at a time until edges are set and lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway.
- Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For optional drizzle, melt the dark chocolate with milk in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth.
- Drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, then let set 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Brown the butter ahead to fully cool for best texture; butter that is too warm can make the dough greasy and cause excessive spread. Weighing flour ensures tender, crumbly shortbread; if using cups, avoid packing the flour. If the dough crumbles when slicing, let it sit at room temperature 5 minutes or roll the logs briefly to warm the exterior. For clean slices, use a thin sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion. Add-ins like chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips can replace part of the toffee, but keep total mix-ins around 3/4 cup. Baking at 325°F prevents over-browning while allowing a crisp edge and short, sandy crumb. Store cookies airtight for 5 days or freeze baked cookies (or dough logs) for up to 2 months; bake frozen slices 1 to 2 minutes longer.
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