Brown Butter Orange Cookies

These Brown Butter Orange Cookies are so soft and chewy with the most amazing combination of brown butter and orange. They're rolled in sugared orange zest before they're baked, and I like to sprinkle a little more sugar on top for a little added crunch once they come out of the oven.

Trust me when I say these are a much needed addition to your holiday baking list, but they're also great year round.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Butter: It’s important that your butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
  • Egg: You want to make sure that your egg is at room temperature to ensure that it is properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave it out before you start baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until it becomes room temperature.
• Measuring Your Ingredients: I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
• Oven Temperature: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so it's important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

Heat 4 oz (½ cup) of butter in a small pan over medium heat, keeping a close eye on it and swirling the pan occasionally while the butter browns. It will crackle as brown bits form.

Once crackling lessons and it’s amber brown, immediately pour butter into a heatproof bowl and let cool at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add in the cooled brown butter and mix until combined, another 15-30 seconds, scraping down the sides of your bowl with a spatula as needed. Add orange extract, the egg, and the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined. Use your spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. Add the sugar and orange zest to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork.

Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form cookies into balls. Gently roll each ball in the sugar topping and place a few inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Repeat this process with remaining cookies.

Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes until golden around the edges. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with more sugar if desired. Enjoy!

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