Cranberry Cookies with a Brown Butter Glaze

These cookies have been a favorite here for a long time. I have never given out the recipe hoping at some point to figure out how to make them in large quantities. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked for the recipe and now, this Christmas, I am posting it as a gift to my friends and guests.  I hope that you have as much success and enjoyment from these cookies as we have had. They are truly incredible and they freeze beautifully. My children would tell you that they taste just amazing straight from the freezer.
*note : this uses fresh or frozen cranberries. For a more intense red use the frozen ones. Dried cranberries or Crasins won’t work here.

 Cranberry Cookies with a Brown Butter Glaze


  INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 large egg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, choppped (not too fine)
1 cup walnut pieces

  DIRECTIONS
1. Cream the butter and sugar

2. Beat in the milk, orange juice and egg

3. Add the remaining ingredients mixing only until well incorporated

4. Using a cookie scoop (About 1 Tablespoon) drop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. They will spread a bit during baking so allow room for them to expand

5. Bake 350F until light brown, 12-15 min

6. Allow to cool before icing

How can you go wrong with brown butter?  The PA Dutch use it on noodles, serve it drizzled over mashed potatoes, mix it with veggies.. You name it, brown butter has a place almost everywhere. You can well imagine that mixing it with powdered sugar would be an amazing use for it as well! This is the frosting that goes with the cranberry cookies. Don’t skimp. This makes them the fabulous treat that they are.

Brown Butter Icing

1/3 cup salted butter, no substitutes
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons  vanilla
2-4 tablespoons hot water

Just put the butter in the pan and start melting

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan watching it closely till it turns a golden brown.  This is where the flavor is so do not remove from the heat too early. Also be careful not to burn it.

2. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla

3. Add the hot water and beat till smooth

4. With a wide bladed knife gently ice each of the cranberry cookies

This is the nutty brown of the butter

5. Allow the icing to set before freezing

Swiss Woods Bed and Breakfast
 http://www.swisswoods.com
  Debbie Mosimann
Bed and Breakfast Foodie