Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkles

Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkles - made dough May 14, 2016, modified from Cookies and Cups

I make so many cookie recipes (you’ll notice I mostly do cookies and brownies on my blog) that I always like to look for something a little out of the norm in a cookie. Or a type or flavor of cookie I haven’t made before. I’d make crinkle cookies before but not brown butter and/or cinnamon crinkles. Crinkles really just refer to rolling the cookie dough ball in powdered sugar before baking and when the cookie flattens and spread, the coating of powdered sugar spreads with it and makes the crinkles. I’m pretty sure that’s true even though I just made that up.

In any case, these were good crinkles (I mean, hello, brown butter). I made the dough first, shaped into dough balls, and froze them first without rolling them in powdered sugar. When I was ready to bake them, I whisked together some cinnamon with the powdered sugar before I rolled the frozen dough balls in the mixture. These were meant to be cinnamon crinkles after all so I wanted to make sure I got the taste of cinnamon in them. Plus, let’s be honest, I’m looking for additional ways to use up my Spice Island cinnamon so I can replace it with Penzey’s cinnamon.

These turned out pretty well. They didn’t spread very much, I did my underbaking thing so they came out puffy and moist and they tasted good. One of my coworkers complimented me later on that, especially on how moist they were. I can’t abide a dry cookie and underbaking is the best way to avoid that. If you’re into pretty visuals, the powdered sugar coating doesn’t provide as pretty a contrast as if this had been a chocolate cookie crinkle but I still maintain taste trumps appearance and this was delicious.

10 tablespoons butter, sliced
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
1 tablespoon cinnamon, for rolling

1. Place the butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. Continue to cook, whisking frequently until the butter becomes an amber color and brown flecks form. Butter should have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour the cooled butter into the sugars and mix on medium speed to combine. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing just until smooth.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix together powdered sugar and cinnamon; roll dough balls into mixture and evenly space on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool for several minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.