Browned Butter Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Well, this is one of my FAVORITE cookies of all time. It makes a big batch, but it's no surprise when I eat most of these myself. The secret is that you have to frost them as soon as they cool. The frosting locks in the moisture and they stay chewy and fresh for days! Browned butter is a great trick to add to your bag of tricks. Mmmm...

Browned Butter Cookies with Caramel Frosting

1 C butter - do NOT use any substitutes

2 C brown sugar

1/2 C milk

2 eggs

3 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400. Melt butter in 2-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter is light brown. (Butter will foam and you will have to swirl the pan to see the butter. You'll notices dark solids on the bottom of the pan. That's the GOOD stuff!) Cool at least 10 minutes.

Mix browned butter, brown sugar, milk and eggs in a large bowl with a spoon, Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9-11 minutes, or until almost no indentation remains when touched in the center. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. While cookies are cooling, make caramel frosting. Spread frosting on cookies.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 C butter

1 C packed brown sugar

1/4 C milk

2 C powdered sugar

Melt butter in 2-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat. (I use the same one from the browned butter. No sense in dirtying another dish!) Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Frost on the cookies.