This is the very first recipe I made from the Great Scandinavian Baking book. It is simple and contains the ever so heavenly browned butter.

It took me a bit to actually make these cookies the first time around. At the time when I first started reading through this book I was really starting to feel like browned butter had become yet another fad in the food blogging world. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, that’s up to you to decide. It should be no surprise to you that I’m not a fan of fads. Fads are a funny thing though because on one side of the coin, browned butter is absolutely devine. But then on the other side, it’s just browned butter. Why do we have to brown the butter for every single recipe??

Thankfully this great baking book set the record straight. As I flipped through the pages reading the descriptions of the recipes it dawned on me that browned butter isn’t anything new. The Scandinavians have been doing this for a long time. This was simply people being introduced to a new (awesome) method of enhancing dishes and them going nuts about it (rightfully so.)

I’m not sure why this revelation suddenly made this cookie okay to make but I am incredibly glad I got over my pride on this one. This cookie is easily in my top ten favorite cookies… not that I have a top ten list. But if I did, they would be on it! Between the richness that the browned butter creates and the melt in your mouth softness from the cake flour. It is perfect.

Norwegian Browned Butter Cookies

Adapted from: The Great Scandinavian Baking Book

• 1 cup butter, browned and cooled overnight
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 2 cups cake flour

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. As butter heats it will start to foam. At this point it will start changing colors. From white, to a light yellow, to a golden tan, to dark brown. Swirl occasionally. Keep an eye on the butter when it starts changing colors as it can change quick. Cook the butter till it is a deep golden color. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl mix the browned butter with the sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk together.

Whisk together the cream of tarter and cake flour. Then add to the butter mixture and stir to form a well combined cookie dough.

Shape into walnut sized balls and bake 15 – 20 minutes. It’s easy to overcook these so err on the least amount of time.

Makes about 36 cookies depending on how large you make them.