This week's recipe for Baked Sunday Mornings is Buttermilk Pie. I made this pie over a year ago, with predictably poor results (I just cannot get any of the Baked pies to work for me), and I couldn't bring myself to give the pie another try. So I'm just going to refer people back to my previous post for the buttermilk pie and leave it at that.
However, I do have another Baked recipe to post about today: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles. I've been happily making Alice Medrich's snickerdoodle recipe from Cookies and Brownies for years and never felt the need to look for another one. But the Baked boys always add a twist, and I was eager to see how snickerdoodles would taste with browned butter.
The first step in the recipe is to brown the butter and strain it. The recipe notes that straining is not actually strictly necessary, and I didn't strain mine -- I have not bothered to strain browned butter with other recipes I've made (e.g., this soda bread and this almond torte), and I've always been happy with the results. You beat the browned butter in a mixer until it cools to room temperature, and then add in sugar and brown sugar, eggs and milk, and the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon). Because the dough contains browned butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, it was a tan color (in contrast to the dough I make with Medrich's recipe, which is completely pale). You need to chill the dough for at least an hour before you scoop it out, roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar, and bake.
Recipes:
However, I do have another Baked recipe to post about today: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles. I've been happily making Alice Medrich's snickerdoodle recipe from Cookies and Brownies for years and never felt the need to look for another one. But the Baked boys always add a twist, and I was eager to see how snickerdoodles would taste with browned butter.
The first step in the recipe is to brown the butter and strain it. The recipe notes that straining is not actually strictly necessary, and I didn't strain mine -- I have not bothered to strain browned butter with other recipes I've made (e.g., this soda bread and this almond torte), and I've always been happy with the results. You beat the browned butter in a mixer until it cools to room temperature, and then add in sugar and brown sugar, eggs and milk, and the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon). Because the dough contains browned butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, it was a tan color (in contrast to the dough I make with Medrich's recipe, which is completely pale). You need to chill the dough for at least an hour before you scoop it out, roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar, and bake.
These cookies were very pretty, a bit puffy with attractive crackled tops. They were crisp on the outside, nice and chewy on the inside, and wonderfully buttery. I thought they were delicious. I'm not sure if I would be able to identify the browned butter component just from the taste. But I would happily make them again and again.
Recipes:
- "Buttermilk Pie (with a hint of maple syrup)" from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Recipe available here at Baked Sunday Mornings.
- "Brown Butter Snickerdoodles" from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Previous Posts:
- "Just Half a Slice Please... The Top Half!: Buttermilk Pie," July 12, 2011.
- "Snickerdoodle Dandy," April 6, 2009.
- "St. Patrick's Day for the Baker in a Rush: Soda Bread Two Ways [Brown Butter Soda Bread]," March 22, 2011.
- "Fruit Fest, Phase III: Brown Butter Almond Torte," June 30, 2009.
Comments
I can't wait to make these cookies, though!