Buttery, chewy and salty-sweet, these butterscotch cookies are irresistibly addictive with a hint of fleur de sel on top. One cookie likely won’t be enough, but every bite is a delicious defeat.
12tablespoons(170g)unsalted buttercut into tablespoon sized slices
1 3/4cups(385g)dark brown sugar
1/2teaspoon(2.5g)salt
1egg
1egg yolk
1tablespoon(15ml)vanilla extract
2 1/2cups(312g)all-purpose flour
1/2teaspoon(2.5g)baking soda
1/4teaspoon(1.25g)baking powder
Fleur de sel, Maldon, sea salt, or Kosher saltfor sprinkling
Sugar dredging mixture
1/4cup(55g)dark brown sugar
2tablespoons(25g)sugar
Equipment
Skillet
Oven
Mixing bowl
Paddle Attachment
Whisk
Wire rack
Baking Sheets
Parchment paper
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Vigorously whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside. Mix together the sugar dredging mixture in another bowl and set aside.
Place 10 tablespoons of butter into a thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat; swirl the pan occasionally. The butter will foam a bit before subsiding. Once the butter takes on a tan color and begins to smell nutty take it off of the heat. Add the other two tablespoons of butter and mix it in until it melts.
Pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar and salt and mix. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix together, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once. Add the flour mixture in three increments being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom once or twice. Mix just until the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very thick.
Take 1/2 to full tablespoon-sized pieces of dough (you can make them a bit bigger or smaller to your liking, just make sure the pieces of dough are all the same size) and gently roll them into ball shapes. Dredge them in the sugar dredging mixture until well-coated. Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little bit of the sprinkling salt (be reserved with the salt as very little goes a long way).
Bake for 10-12 minutes (13-15 if large) or until the edges have browned a bit. Be careful not to over-bake. Allow to cool on the sheet for one minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Do not use fine grain table salt (iodized salt) as it will taste unpleasant. Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method for best results.