Buttery shortbread cookies topped with salted dulce de leche, these Salted Dulce de Leche Thumbprint Cookies are not only easy to make, but they're also melt-in-your-mouth good! Perfect for holiday gifts and cookie swaps!
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 22 minutesminutes
Total Time 52 minutesminutes
Servings 34
Ingredients
1 ¼cups(282g)unsalted butter, softened, divided
¾cup(150g)light brown sugar
2egg yolks
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2 ¼cups(292g)all-purpose flour, sifted
¼teaspoonsalt
½cup(160g)dulce de Leche
Flaked sea salt
Instructions
Heat ¾ cup (170 g) of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, swirl the pan frequently. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the butter turns a light amber color and has a nutty aroma. Watch it closely, it can go from brown to burnt rather quickly.
Remove from heat, transfer to a heatproof bowl, leaving the darker brown bits behind. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has started to solidify.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
Add the brown butter to a 1-cup measuring cup and top it off with enough of the remaining softened butter to equal 1 cup (226 g).
Add the butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes
Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift in the flour and salt then mix just until blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Shape the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately press a slight indention in the center of each cookie. A 1-teaspoon measuring spoon works best for this.
Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a piping bag or ziptop bag with the corner cut off, pipe dulce de leche into the cavities of each cookie. Sprinkle the tops with flaked sea salt.
Notes
Butter: 3/4 cup will be cooked until brown but this process will reduce the amount of butter. Once the browned butter cools, you need to add enough softened butter to the brown butter to equal 1 cup (226 g).