Christmas Treasure Drop Cookies
 
 
These are my new favorite Christmas cookies! The cookies are packed full of brown butter, maraschino cherries, toasted walnuts, and chocolate chips and topped with a brown butter frosting.
Serves: 4 dozen
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 15 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ice cube
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-10oz jar maraschino cherries, quartered
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
For the Frosting:
  • ¼ cup brown butter (included in butter quantity listed for the cookies)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. To toast the nuts: spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Stir them around occasionally (every 5 minutes or so) to ensure they are not burning. Once toasted, set aside.
  3. To brown the butter: melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk the melted butter until brown specks appear at the bottom, it will froth and foam a bit. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. Place ½ cup of the browned butter into a heatproof bowl and whisk in an ice cube. This will be used for the cookies. Place the remaining ¼ cup aside to use for the frosting.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, add the ½ cup brown butter and the sugars. Mix on medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth and combined, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the nuts, maraschino cherries, and chocolate chips.
  6. Let the dough sit in the refrigerated for one hour or overnight.
  7. Place scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared pans. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the frosting while the cookies are cooling. Place the remaining ¼ cup brown butter, 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Beat on medium until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add in the remaining sugar ¼ cup at a time until the frosting has reached your desired consistency. It should be thick enough to easily spread.
  9. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a nice layer of frosting on each one. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe by Just J.Faye at https://www.justjfaye.com/2014/12/15/christmas-treasure-drop-cookies/