What is browned butter and does it actually make a difference in taste?

Browned butter is cooking the butter in the skillet beyond the melting point. New flavors are released that results in a different taste. It smells nutty, almost like toasted nuts, and will have more caramelized, toffee tastes. I can tell a big difference in taste.

What happens when you overcook brown butter?

You really have to watch the butter brown because it happens fast and can overcook quickly. Over cooked browned butter will have dark brown or black chunks in it and taste bitter. If you overcook, you need to start over and toss that batch. As soon as you get the appropriate Amber color (see step by step photos for image), immediately transfer it to a bowl to stop the cooking process.

How to keep the cookies chewy?

The best tip to chewy cookies is to not over mix or over bake. I over baked one of my batches and they stayed chewy for a few hours, then turned into more of a crispy cookie, like Tate's cookies. They were still delicious, but if you're looking for chewy, pull them out of the oven before they look ready (12-13 minutes).

Allow the cookies to come to room temperature, then store in sealed containers or gallon sized ziplock bags. Eat within 2-3 day for the best texture.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes, the cookie dough can be frozen. I recommend vacuum sealing in heaping tablespoon sized balls, and baking within 2 months for the freshest taste.

Brown Butter Pecan Cookies - Simply Made Eats

Description

These Brown Butter Pecan Cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes with savory browned butter and toasted pecans. They're super easy to make and a great addition to the Christmas cookie platter.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, regular or grassfed
3/4 cup pecan halves
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon maple syrup

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a light colored large skillet on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add the salted butter and cook until Amber in color, stirring frequently (Mine took about 6-7 minutes, but this will differ based on the pan, oven, etc.) Once the color is light brown immediately turn off the stovetop and pour the butter into a bowl to cool. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes.
As the butter cools, add the pecans to a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Turn off the oven and allow the pecans to cool for a few minutes.
Roughly chop the pecans into smaller pieces and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Once the butter has cooled, add it to the stand mixer with beater attachment, or large bowl if using a hand mixer. Toss in the brown and granulated sugar and blend on medium low speed for 1 minute.
Add in egg and maple syrup and blend on medium low speed for 1 minute.
Pour in dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Pour in pecans and mix again, just to quickly incorporate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the cookie dough from the fridge.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into heaping tablespoon sized balls.
Spread 12 cookie balls out onto each cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes for a chewy cookie (15-16 minutes if you like them crunchier).
Allow the cookies to cool on a baking rack for a few minutes, then enjoy! They taste amazing with a glass of milk.

Equipment

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Notes

Browned butter can be tricky and must be watched closely. You're looking for a light brown to Amber color. When this happens, immediately turn off the heat to the skillet and pour into a bowl to slow the cooking process. Do not use a dark pan that you can't see the butter color well.
Because this recipe is using browned butter, it's important to be patient with cooling and chilling. If you add hot browned butter into the cookies, you are going to end up with bad results, with potentially cooking the egg and having runny batter.
When using a stand mixer, make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after steps to mix all the ingredients.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooling/Chilling Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: dessert
Method: bake
Cuisine: American