Browned Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe

Browned Butter Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe - Please note that there are 2 chilling steps in making these cookies so plan ahead. Once the dough is made, it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then once its filled and rolled into logs, it needs to be frozen for about 30 minutes. Though the freezing step is not necessary, it helps make clean cuts, so its recommended.

Servings: 48

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COOKIES:
3 cups (12 3/4oz/ 360g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (7oz/ 200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4oz/ 114g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 eggs, at room temperature *(see note below)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon if using imitation vanilla)
3/4 cup (6oz/ 170g) sour cream, at room temperature

FOR THE FILLING:
6 tablespoons (3oz/85g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (5 1/3/ 150g) packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided into 1/2 teaspoons

FOR THE BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
3 tablespoons (1 1/2oz/ 43g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1oz/ 28g) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (3oz/ 85g) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream, to thin to glaze consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH:

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until lightened up in color and looks fluffy; 3 to 5 minutes.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well combined.

Turn down the mixer to lowest speed, then slowly add in the flour mixture. Turn up the speed to medium and mix for a few more seconds until the dough is well combined. The dough will be very sticky, do not be tempted to add more flour; it will firm up upon refrigeration.

Turn out the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disc. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, as the dough will be very hard to work with before then.

FILLING AND ROLLING THE COOKIES:

Once chilled, prepare the browned butter for the filling. In a light-colored skillet heat the 6 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping the pan constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula until the butter turns dark golden and smells fragrant; a nutty, caramel-y aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool to almost room temperature.

Once the browned butter is cooled, cut the dough disc into equal thirds using a sharp knife or bench scraper. Working quickly so the dough doesn't soften, place each third onto a piece of generously floured parchment or wax paper (plastic wrap works too). Roll each third into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle, about 13 X 7 inches. As you're rolling, continue to make sure that the dough is not sticking to the paper. If it is, gently release it using a spatula or bench scraper and dust some flour under it.

Spread each rolled piece of dough with 2 tablespoons of the browned butter, then top with 1/4 cup packed brown sugar that's been combined with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Pat the it down with your hand so it sticks.

Using the parchment paper to help lift the dough, start rolling the dough from the long end closest to you, into a log shape, dusting off excess flour. Wrap the dough tightly with the parchment paper then place in the freezer until firm enough to cut through; 30 minutes or up to one month *(see note).

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Take one log at a time from the freezer and using a sharp knife, slice 3/4 inch pieces of the dough. You should be able to get 16 to 20 pieces, depending on the length of your log.

Place the rolled dough pieces onto a silicon mat or parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the dough looks set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not let the cookies brown or they'll be dry. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

TO PREPARE THE GLAZE AND FINISH THE COOKIES:

Place the cream cheese in a bowl.

Place the 3 tablespoons of butter In a light-colored skillet over medium high heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping the pan constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula until the butter turns dark golden and smells fragrant; a nutty, caramel-y aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl with the cream cheese. Whisk together until mostly smooth.

Add in the powdered sugar and whisk vigorously until the glaze is well incorporated and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Thin out the glaze a bit by whisking in a little bit milk or cream at a time until a desired glazing consistency is achieved.

Drizzle glaze over cookies using a spoon or for a neater look, transfer to a piping or sandwich bag, then cut off tip and drizzle in a zigzag motion. The glaze will take a few hours to set but you could eat them right away

Store in an airtight container to maintain their softness.

RECIPE NOTES

I know that the '1 1/2 eggs' amount sounds weird albeit annoying, but hear me out. The original recipe for this dough is double this one and it uses 3 eggs. Since I found that double the amount of dough makes way more cookies than anyone can handle, I halved the recipe, which means I had to halve the eggs too, which results in this weird amount. To measure out half an egg, whisk a large egg in a small bowl then take half of it which is 1 1/2 tablespoons (25g/about 1oz). Store the remaining half egg in the fridge for later use ex: fried rice or add to omelette.

The frozen dough logs freeze beautifully for up to one month, making them perfect for slice-n-bake cookies at a moment’s notice. If freezing for longer than several hours, make sure that the logs' ends are well sealed. To bake from frozen, allow the log to thaw ever-so-slightly enough to make it easy to slice. Bake the slices frozen, but you might need to increase the baking time by one or two minutes.