Sour Cream Cookies With Brown Butter Icing

This week's post is a lesson on the maturing of taste - at least my taste.  Gram's Sour Cream Cookies are a family favorite - everyone absolutely raves about them.  Everyone but me, that is.  I'm not crazy about nuts in most sweets, and walnuts are a key ingredient in these cookies.  I've posted before that I was not always a fan of brown butter icing, so as far as I was concerned these cookies had two strikes against them.  My 10 year-old self probably told anyone who would listen that I wouldn't eat these cookies if they were the last cookies on earth.   That is a ridiculous statement of course because there is no way I wouldn't eat the last cookie on earth, no matter what kind it was.  

Now that I've accepted brown butter icing as one of the better things in life, I've for some time wanted to try my hand at this recipe to see if I might have grown into their "grown-up"taste.  If not, I knew I'd have plenty of eager eaters to pick up my slack.  I hesitated for a while because it is one of the many recipes from Gram's box that is simply a list of ingredients.  I knew I might need some time to experiment in case my first batch didn't turn out so well.  

For research I did a quick look online for similar recipes.  I found a nearly identical one at Food52.com which I used as my baseline for time and temp.  Reviewing the instructions from their recipe revealed an assembly process I was familiar with.  I was comfortable that this recipe would fit into what I call the Batter Cookie category.  I'm quite certain I am not the first to come up with that name, there are two - maybe three basic categories in which most cookies can be assigned.  One of these weeks I may blog about that further. 

I also grilled my Mom for as many details as she could remember about the cookies - they are a personal favorite of hers and I'm sure that she's made them dozens of times herself, albeit quite some time ago.  She described them as almost savory rather than sweet, pillowy soft, moist but not dense, and delicate.  Very important was that the walnuts must be chopped very fine, almost pulverized she said.  I remember that Gram actually crushed them with an old Coke bottle rather than chop them.

Once I got started, the cookies came together very easily.  I chopped the nuts but about half way through I regretted not crushing them, as chopping them to the right consistency was a bit time consuming.  I turned on a favorite podcast and got to work. 

As for the results, let me quote my husband:
"You've never made these before."  (Silent pause while he takes first one bite, then two, then finishes the cookie) 
"These are a damn good cookie.  I think they are my new favorite."

And yes, I have grown into these grown up cookies.  I think they are my new favorite.  Thanks Gram.

SOUR CREAM COOKIES
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 C + 1/4 C walnuts, separated, chopped VERY fine

BROWN BUTTER ICING
3 C powdered sugar, sifted
7 T butter
3 T+ cream
1 tsp vanilla

For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer) cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 - 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time until mixed well, add vanilla.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking until well mixed.








With mixer on low, add the flower mixture to butter alternating with the sour cream in three additions (begin and end with flour).  Add 2/3 C walnuts and mix until fully incorporated.

Using 1 1/2 inch scoop, drop batter onto parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. (IMPORTANT: cookies will spread while baking, be sure to space as directed).  Bake 10-12 minutes, turning sheets half way through.  











While cookies are baking make icing (you could do it before making the cookies as well): 
Sift confectioners' sugar into a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add cream and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto warm cookies, then sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts.  If icing stiffens, stir in more cream, a little at a time.

Cookies freeze very well.  In fact, Gram always said they were better after being frozen.Place in large airtight container with wax paper between layers.  

 Thankfully, my daughter has a much more sophisticated palette than I did at that age!