Brown Butter Gingerbread Snickerdoodle Cookies with Mini Gingerbread Men

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   In a light-colored saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Swirl occasionally until it turns golden brown with nutty specks. Immediately pour into a small heatproof bowl and let cool slightly.
2. 2

   In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1 cup softened unsalted butter, the cooled brown butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, and ½ cup light brown sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
3. 3

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. 4

   In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt.
5. 5

   Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. 6

   Gently fold in the ¾ cup crushed mini gingerbread cookies using a spatula.
7. 7

   Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
8. 8

   While the dough chills, prepare the coating: In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Stir well. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. 9

   Scoop out dough using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop (or about 2 tablespoons of dough). Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then generously roll in the cinnamon-ginger sugar mixture until fully coated.
10. 10

    Place the coated cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are set and lightly golden, but centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool. For crinkles, gently tap the hot baking sheet on the counter once or twice immediately after removing from oven.
11. 11

    Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.