Ingredients
Method
- Brown the butter: Cut 340 g unsalted butter into chunks roughly 2" (5 cm) in size. Put them in a light-coloured frying pan or skillet, and melt on low heat.
- Once the butter is completely melted, increase the heat to medium or medium-low. Keep heating the butter while stirring constantly until you see brown flecks in the butter and it smells nutty. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape out all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan—that's where all the flavour is!
- Cream the butter and sugar. Let the butter cool at room temperature until it's almost solid. Add 42 g unrefined coconut oil and 350 g granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer, or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, mix on medium speed until very light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Continue mixing. Add 2 large egg yolks and 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Add 200 g sourdough discard and mix again until combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Add 470 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. fine sea salt, ¾ tsp. baking powder, and ¼ tsp. baking soda and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface, and use your hands to pat into a rectangle. Divide into two roughly equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour and up to two days.
- Roll. Remove one portion of dough from the fridge, and leave at room temperature to warm up for 5-10 minutes. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with a little bit of flour, and roll to ⅛" and ¼" (3 - 6 mm) in thickness. Thinner if you prefer a crisper cookie, and thicker if you like a softer cookie.
- Cut out. Use cookie cutters to cut into any shapes you like. Remember that you will need tops and bottoms that fit together, so a symmetrical cookie cutter such as a circle, star, or heart is the best choice. You can cut windows out of half of the cookies if you want the jam to peek through. Save the scraps for re-rolling.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or a perforated baking mat. Leave at least ½" (1.25 cm) between each cookie. Cover the baking sheet(s) with plastic wrap or a reusable baking sheet cover, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to help the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Bake one sheet at a time for 12-16 minutes. A shorter baking time will result in a softer cookie, while a longer baking time will give you a crisper cookie.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Pair similar-sized cookies together. If you cut windows out of half of the cookies, make sure to pair a windowed top with a solid bottom. Use a small spoon to carefully spread some jam or other filling onto the bottom cookie, leaving an unfilled border of about ¼" (6 mm) around the edge. Place the top cookie over the jam, matching it with the bottom cookie, and carefully press together. Enjoy!
- Storage: Cookies can be left at room temperature for anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on what filling you used. Use your judgement to decide when to transfer the cookies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
I don't list a yield for this recipe, because it's so dependent on the size of your cookie cutters, how thinly you roll your dough, and how fussy you are about saving and re-rolling your scraps. You could get anywhere from a dozen to several dozen cookies depending on these variables.
Don't skip chilling the cookies after rolling—that really helps them keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
The amount of filling given in the ingredient list is approximate—your mileage may vary depending on how many cookies you make, how thickly you spread your filling, etc.