My Favorite Salty Butter Cookies

Friends! Twelve days ago, I told my mother that I was going to give up refined sugar for two weeks, just to see what it was like and if I felt any different. I thought two weeks was a realistic amount of time. I lasted three days (and that's only if you don't count the small amount of turbinado sugar in some muffins I made to finish off a quart of buttermilk). Since then I have made and consumed large quantities of

• my favorite salty butter cookies (had to make some for my grandmother's birthday, did not have to eat so many myself)
• sugar-crusted popovers (to celebrate Andrew's presence at breakfast, a rare occurrence; I took some photos of these that I liked until I realized they were subtly rather vulgar--Georgia O'Keefe meets Wayne Thiebaud)
• chocolate cookie dough stashed in freezer (to assuage my jealousy of Elif Batuman's brainy wit and writing chops...love this book!)
• brownies (to compensate family for boring beans and rice dinner)
• lemon poppy seed pound cake (recipe TK on Serious Eats this Sunday)

I need to get religion AND FAST if I want to remain on speaking terms with my pants, which I do. I hereby declare my intent once again to try to give up sugar for two weeks and then go from there.

(I'm sure I'll just replace it with bread, but I'm not even going to pretend to give up bread. Do I look crazy?)

(Also, I always feel the urge to give something up at this time of year. It's as if centuries of Lent-abiding ancestors left it in the DNA. Above you the solution to another genetic problem: cookies stashed in the laundry closet, out of baby's eyesight. Unfortunately, she seems to have my appetite for sweets...and, let's face it, salties, too.)

Sugar-fast-breaking Salty Butter Cookies

This is one of the sharpest and most dangerous arrows in my cookie quiver: no need to soften the butter (usually the biggest barrier between me and cookies), dirties only the Cuisinart, and perfectly plain, just the way I like. I resisted Sally Schneider's books for years (something about the jacket design spoke to me in all the wrong ways), but Andrew ordered me The Improvisational Cook after hearing Sally on the radio talking about cooking with rocks. He was smitten, and once the book showed up, so was I. She used to post on The Atlantic Food Channel, but now I can't find her there. I can't tell if I'm searching poorly or if she's gone.

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Small pinch kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Scant 1/4 teaspoon fancy flaky salt such as Maldon

In a food processor, combine the butter, sugar, pinch salt, and vanilla and process to a light, fluffy paste, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove lid to add flour and cornstarch. Pulse until dough begins to clump together and the mixture is fairly uniform, 8 to 10 times. Gather the dough into a round ball, kneading a few times if necessary. (You can also mix by hand or use an electric mixer, but the food processor method is super easy.)

Form the dough into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter. Gently roll it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up, at least  hour or until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 325. Use a thin knife to slice the chilled log into 1/8-inch slices and arrange them 1.5 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the fancy flaky salt, rubbing it between your fingers as you sprinkle and then gently patting the salt into the dough. Bake until the tops are firm and the edges are barely colored, 15-20 minutes. She says to remove cookies to rack, but I let them cool on the sheet.

Makes about thirty 1.5-inch round cookies. You can refrigerate the dough up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours before using.

Farewell for now, dear scenes of baking!

Comments

[Mary-Beth]

Amanda sent me the link to the sugar-crusted popovers a month or so ago, and I've had it open on my computer waiting to try it since! Now that I have an official popover pan, I'll have to make them soon. I'm sure they turned out well.

[Robin]

They were wonderful, even though I used a muffin tin. I had actually never made popovers before and thought they were just like a Dutch pancake. And anything dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar is bound to make me very very happy! I hope you like them when you get around to them.

[Molly]

Oh, man, I am so sunk...

[Tracy (Amuse-bouche for Two)]

It's really hard to give up that little bit of dessert after dinner. It's required in our household. I feel your pain. :)

[Robin]

If only I could keep it to a little bit! I think having a little something every day is fine, but for some reason I'm having an especially hard time with moderation at the moment. Sigh.

[Sprout]

Salty butter cookies - 3 words never looked more beautiful together.

[Callie]

I stopped eating sugar in my coffee, etc., and switched to using honey. After a month I really can't stand sugar anymore. Honey is sweeter, I use less and I like the taste better. I'm going to try making the butter cookies (mix by hand) and try cooking them in my electric skillet. My oven is broken and I'm craving cookies. I must say I love brown sugar. I'll let you know if the cookie skillet thing is a success or a disaster. Thanks for the recipe.

[Robin]

I hope the cookies work out, Callie, do let me know! I love brown sugar, too. I usually put only milk in my coffee, but now I'm kind of curious to try it with honey. On the mornings I drink tea, it gets lots of honey and milk.