Thin brown sugar sandwich cookies with fork marks and a smooth browned-butter frosting center on a warm table

Brown Sugar Caramel Sandwich Cookies

Brown sugar caramel sandwich cookies pair chilled, fork-pressed rounds with a browned-butter frosting center for 24 finished sandwiches.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 11

Chilling and Cooling Time 8 30

Total Time 9 6

Servings sandwich cookies

Calories 197

Equipment

2 Baking Sheets for shaping and baking the pressed cookie rounds
1 Electric Hand Mixer for creaming the dough and mixing the frosting
1 Fork for pressing the dough balls crosswise
1 Large Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl for mixing the cookie dough
1 set Measuring Cups and Spoons for the dough and frosting ingredients
1 Offset Spatula for spreading frosting over the cooled cookies
1 Oven for baking at 325°F
1 Kitchen Refrigerator for the 2-to-8-hour dough chill
1 Silicone Spatula for scraping the dough bowl
1 Small Saucepan for browning the frosting butter
1 Whisk for bringing the browned-butter frosting together
1 Wire Cooling Rack for cooling the baked rounds completely

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter softened; for the cookie dough
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the cookie dough
1 large egg yolk
2 ⅛ cups all-purpose flour

Browned Butter Frosting

¼ cup butter for the frosting
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the frosting
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream use enough for a spreadable frosting

Instructions

Make and Bake the Cookies

Place the softened butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar in a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until the color and texture are even throughout.
1 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
Beat in the vanilla extract and egg yolk. Scrape the bowl, add the all-purpose flour, and mix only until no loose dry pockets remain.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk, 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before shaping.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Form the chilled dough into 3/4-inch balls on baking sheets, then press each ball crosswise with a fork until about 1/8 inch thick.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes. Check at 8 minutes and continue within the range as needed, then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Fill the Sandwich Cookies

Cook the butter in a small saucepan over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, watching closely as it browns. Remove it from the heat at the end of the interval.
1/4 cup butter
Combine the browned butter with the sifted confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons cream. Add more cream within the 3-to-5-tablespoon range until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream
Match the cooled cookies into pairs. Spread frosting over one flat underside and place its partner on top with the fork marks facing outward. Repeat to make 24 sandwich cookies.

Notes

Chill the dough for the full 2-hour minimum. Use 3 to 5 tablespoons cream to make the frosting spreadable, and cool the cookie rounds completely before filling them.

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