Browned Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies

Total Time: 4 hrs 7 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 -3 tablespoons half-and-half cream (*)

Recipe

• 1 combine 1 cup butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl.
• 2 beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
• 3 add egg yolks and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
• 4 add flour, pecans and salt.
• 5 reduce speed to low; beat until dough forms a ball.
• 6 divide dough in half; shape each half into 10-inch long roll (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter).
• 7 wrap each roll tightly in plastic food wrap.
• 8 refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
• 9 heat oven to 350°f unwrap dough; cut each roll with sharp knife into 1/8-inch slices; place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• 10 bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• 11 let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
• 12 cool completely.
• 13 meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter just starts to brown (5 to 6 minutes).
• 14 (butter will bubble and foam. watch closely.) immediately remove from heat.
• 15 cool 5 minutes.
• 16 stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and enough half& half for desired spreading consistency.
• 17 spread 1 level teaspoonful filling on flat-side of 1 cookie; top with second cookie, flat-side down.
• 18 squeeze together gently.
• 19 repeat with remaining cookies.
• 20 *substitutewhipping cream.
• 21 tip: if dough is too crumbly to easily form a log, add 1 tablespoon of very soft butter.
• 22 continue beating until dough forms a ball (2 to 3 minutes).
• 23 tip: rather than making sandwich cookies simply frost each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoonful filling mixture.