Brown Butter Reindeer Cookies
These brown butter reindeer cookies are the ultimate Christmas cookie for the season. They are soft, chewy, and packed with festive flavour! They start with a rich, brown butter snickerdoodle base, and are topped with a luscious brown butter maple frosting. Each cookie is decorated with chocolate antlers, white chocolate eyes, and a classic red smartie for Rudolph's nose.
Ingredients
Brown Butter Cookies
- 215 grams unsalted butter
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 90 grams brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 grams all-purpose flour ( 1 cup + 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Brown Butter Maple Frosting
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
- 135 grams icing sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tablespoon whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract see note
- pinch of salt
Decorations
- 4 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons mini white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, optional
- 8 red Smarties
Instructions
Brown Butter Cookies
- Place the butter in a medium pan and heat it over medium-low heat, stirring often. Cook until the butter turns foamy and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn!215 grams unsalted butter
- Immediately pour 76 grams of browned butter into a bowl and refrigerate it for 1 hour. In a separate bowl, add 104 grams of browned butter and let it cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- To the bowl with 104 grams of butter, add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk for 1–2 minutes, until the mixture is lighter in color. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until fully incorporated.50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup), 90 grams brown sugar (1/2 cup), 1 large egg,, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.180 grams all-purpose flour ( 1 cup + 1/4 cup), 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Line a plate or tray with parchment paper. Scoop out the dough into 8 even-sized balls and refrigerate them for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the chilled dough balls onto a baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes. Once baked, use a circular cookie cutter or glass to reshape them into perfect circles, if needed. Gently press the tops of the cookies with the bottom of a measuring cup to create a small dent for the frosting. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
Chocolate Decorations
- While the cookies are in the refrigerator, melt white chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in 20-second microwave increments until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag, cut a small hole at the tip, and pipe 18 small circles onto a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Melt regular chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil, transfer to a piping bag, and add a tiny dot in the center of each white chocolate circle for pupils. Use the remaining chocolate to pipe 16 antlers. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.4 tablespoons milk chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons mini white chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon coconut oil,
Maple Brown Butter Frosting
- Remove the chilled butter from the fridge and mix it with room-temperature cream cheese using an electric mixer. Whip on medium-low speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add icing sugar, a pinch of salt, maple extract, and milk. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes until the frosting is light and airy.3 tablespoons cream cheese,, 135 grams icing sugar,, 1 1/2 tablespoon whole milk, 1/4 teaspoon maple extract, pinch of salt
- Once the cookies have cooled, scoop frosting onto each cookie and use an offset spatula or butter knife to evenly spread it over the surface. Place two chocolate antlers on the top of each cookie. Add two chocolate eyes and one red Smartie for the nose.8 red Smarties
Notes
- You can substitute the maple extract with vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, but you may need to reduce the amount of milk.