Soft brown butter peach cobbler cookies filled with jammy peaches, topped with cinnamon crumble, and finished with vanilla glaze.
- Melt the butter used for the cookie batter in a light colored saucepan over medium heat (*see notes). If using milk powder, add it once the butter has melted. Continue cooking while stirring frequently. The butter will begin to foam and crackle as the water evaporates. Continue stirring until the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn deep golden brown and the butter smells rich and nutty. Immediately pour the browned butter, including all of the toasted milk solids, into a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Set it aside to cool for at least 15 minutes while preparing the peach filling. The butter should be cool to touch when making the batter.
- Make the peach filling by adding the diced peaches, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the same saucepan used to brown the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the peaches soften and release their juices for 6-8 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the peach mixture. Continue cooking for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the filling becomes very thick and glossy. The finished peach filling should resemble a chunky preserve. There should not be watery liquid pooling around the peaches. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Line a small sheet pan or plate with parchment paper. Divide the peach filling into approximately 9 portions, using about 20–22g or 1 TBSP of filling for each cookie. Spoon the portions onto the parchment paper and place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the crumb topping and cookie dough. When ready to use the filling does not need to become completely solid. It should be cold and firm enough to lift from the parchment without running.
- Make the cinnamon crumb topping by adding the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a medium bowl. Use a fork or your fingertips to work the ingredients together until a crumbly mixture forms. This will take about 5 minutes of mixing. Set the crumble aside while preparing the cookie dough. If your kitchen is warm, place the crumble in the refrigerator so the butter remains cool.
- Continue making the cookie batter by adding the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the cooled brown butter. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, evenly combined, and no streaks of the individual ingredients remain. It will look like wet sand. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture for at least 1 minute until it becomes smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon till fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula just until a soft cookie dough forms and there are no streaks of flour. Do not overmix the dough.
- Divide the dough into approximately nine portions, about 85g of dough per cookie. Working with one portion at a time, flatten the dough into a thick disk. Keep the center slightly thicker than the edges so the peach filling has a sturdy base. Place one cold peach filling portion in the center of the flattened dough. Bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling. Carefully pinch the dough together until the filling is completely enclosed. Gently roll and shape the dough into a ball. Check the bottom and sides carefully. There should not be any peach filling visible through the dough. Any exposed filling can bubble out as the cookie bakes.
- Make a small indentation in the top of each dough ball using your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon. Pack a generous amount of cinnamon crumb topping into the indentation and over the top of the cookie. Press the crumbs gently into the dough so they remain attached during baking. Avoid flattening the cookie. Arrange the finished dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze the cookies for 1 hour. The cookies should be baked directly from the freezer. Do not allow them to thaw before baking. Freezing helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the peach filling enclosed during the first several minutes in the oven.
- When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large, light colored baking sheet with parchment paper. Place only three or four frozen cookie dough balls on the sheet at one time. Leave approximately 5 inches of space between each cookie because they will spread quite a bit. Bake directly from frozen for approximately 16–18 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges look set and lightly golden. The centers may still look soft and slightly underbaked, but they should not appear wet or raw. The cookies will continue baking and setting on the hot pan after they leave the oven.
- These cookies spread as they bake. Immediately after removing them from the oven, place a large round cookie cutter, bowl, or circular object around one cookie. Move the cutter in a gentle circular motion to push the irregular edges inward and create a rounder cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies while they are still hot and pliable. This technique helps shape the cookie creating a slightly thicker, rounder cookie with a softer-looking center. Allow the cookies to remain on the baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes. They are very soft when warm, and the peach filling needs time to settle. Moving the cookies too early may cause them to bend or break. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack using a spatula and let the cookies cool completely for at least 1 hour before adding the glaze. Glazing warm cookies will cause the icing to melt and disappear into the surface.
- While the cookies are cooling whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add a few drops of milk if the glaze is too thick. Add additional powdered sugar if it becomes too thin. Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cookies. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.
Notes:
- Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
- Let the butter melt completely, then continue cooking as it begins to foam and bubble.
- Swirl the pan occasionally to help the butter cook evenly and prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Watch closely for golden brown bits forming at the bottom. The butter will go through a loud bubbling stage while the water cooks off.
- As the bubbling sound begins to quiet down, the butter will start smelling deeply nutty and toasted while turning a rich amber color.
- Remove from the heat immediately and pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl to stop the cooking process and prevent burning.
You want a golden color, not burnt, like toasted hazelnut, not coffee ash.
**How to Measure Flour Correctly
Measuring flour properly makes a big difference in how your baked recipes turn out. For best results, use a kitchen scale and measure in grams. This ensures consistency and prevents adding too much flour, which can make this cake dry or dense.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale:
- Do not scoop flour directly with the measuring cup.
- Use a spoon to gently fill the measuring cup.
- Level it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not pack the flour down.
Too much flour is one of the most common reasons baked recipes can become dry and cakey
