I have made so many cookies in the last few days. Last night, I started to make my third or so batch, only to find that the butter had been in the fridge all day and was rock hard. The obvious solution to this problem, rather than putting the butter in a warm place and letting it soften, was to use the clarified butter/ghee that my mother had made a few days ago.
The difference in fat changed the consistency of the dough considerably, making it drier and less sticky.
When I rolled it into balls and put it on the cookie sheet, it made my hands oily, but didn’t stick as much to my fingers, the utensils, or the side of the bowl. The cookies came out a slightly different shape, more rounded and less flat around the edges. They taste nuttier as well and are generally lighter and crispier. My favorite new cookie variant!
(I take these cookies very seriously apparently.)
Photos courtesy of my father, red alder ranch.
Loving the hat, Alice! Your cookies look great. I haven’t tried clarified butter for cookies…does it cream nicely with the sugar? Last night I made Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Monster Cookies…yum yum. M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats, and rice krispies? I think yes
It doesn’t really cream as prettily as regular butter, since it doesn’t have any cream, but it’s not difficult to cream.
Those look soooo yummy! I vote you bake more in dorm so I can eat the yummies.
If you chip in for butter every now and then…I’ll make some more lavender shortbread!