Paula Deen Brown Butter Icing

Paula Deen brown butter icing takes 10 minutes and just butter, confectioner's sugar and vanilla to make a nutty, silky dessert drizzle for warm cookies. This easy Southern cookie glaze recipe fits holiday cookie trays, church suppers, bake sales and potluck dessert spreads.

Let the butter turn golden brown and smell nutty before you add anything else, since that toasty flavor is the whole point of this icing. Pull it too early and you just get a plain sweet glaze with no depth.

Paula pours this over warm cookies instead of cooled ones, so the icing sets into a thin, glossy shell as the cookies cool. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, because the line between a drizzle and a runny mess is thin.

Paula Deen Brown Butter Icing

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

60

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

35

kcal

Browned butter and confectioner's sugar come together into a smooth, pourable icing with a toasty caramel note. Once it hits warm cookies, it sets into a thin glaze that crackles lightly when you bite in.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter
  

• 3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• 3 tablespoons (up to 4 tablespoons) water
  

Directions

• Brown the butter: Heat 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Keep going until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, then pull it off the heat.
• Add sugar and vanilla: Stir 3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the hot butter. The mixture will look thick and crumbly at first, so don't worry.
• Thin the icing: Stir in 3 tablespoons water, adding up to 4 tablespoons total, until the icing reaches a drizzling consistency. Add the last tablespoon a splash at a time so it doesn't turn too thin.
• Drizzle on cookies: Drizzle the icing over warm cookies right away. This makes enough to ice about 5 dozen cookies, so you can cover a whole batch.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How do I know when the butter is browned enough?

Look for golden brown color in the pan and a nutty smell, usually after a few minutes over medium heat. Keep stirring, because the milk solids go from brown to burnt quickly once they start to darken.

Can I make brown butter icing ahead of time?

You can, but it firms up as it cools, so it won't drizzle straight from the fridge. Warm it gently in a saucepan and stir in a few drops of water to loosen it again before using.

Why does the icing need to go on warm cookies?

Warm cookies help the thin icing spread a little and then set into a smooth, glossy shell as they cool. On fully cooled cookies it sits thicker and can look lumpy.

Do I really need to sift the confectioner's sugar?

Yes, sifting keeps lumps out, and they won't dissolve once the icing is mixed. If you skip it, you'll see little white specks in the glaze.

What if my icing turns out too thin or too thick?

If it's too thin, stir in a bit more sifted confectioner's sugar until it holds a ribbon off the spoon. If it's too thick, add water a few drops at a time, since a little goes a long way.