This one's for all of you Harry Potter fans.  I am a huge book nerd, and I'm usually reading 2-3 books at any given time.  (These days most of them are audiobooks, because quiet time to sit and read is a luxury I just don't have right now with 3 littles!)  I love reading books that discuss food in passing - as in, it's not the main focus of the book.  I recently read a book where the main character attended a dinner party and the author shared the menu along with the conversation.  I immediately wanted to go and make all the different foods they were eating.

So when I came across this recipe for Butterbeer Thumbprint Cookies, I had to try them! I know Harry Potter doesn't actually ingest his butterbeer in the form of cookies, so if you're a die-hard fan, just humor me here!

According to the author, butterbeer is "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."  Well, this homemade "browned butterscotch" is amazing.  It's fast and easy to make, and is hands down, the best stuff you'll eat all day!  And it tastes nothing like those sickly "butterscotch" chips that get dusty on grocery store shelves.


Butterbeer Thumbprint Cookies
(adapted from Kara Canary)

• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp butter extract (I didn't have any when I made these in the middle of the night, and they were great.  I'll bet they're even more buttery with the extract though!)
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Browned Butterscotch sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar.  Mix in the extracts and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Sift in flour and salt.  Mix for another minute, until it is all combined.

Roll dough into Tablespoon sized balls, spacing about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the cookie.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately press down the indentation again (use a spoon, not your thumb this time!) and return to the oven.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Allow to cool 3-5 minutes on the pan, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are cooling, make browned butterscotch sauce.  Fill cookies and allow to cool and set.  Enjoy!

Browned Butterscotch Sauce

• 1/2 c. salted butter
• 1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan set over medium heat.  Once melted, continue to cook, stirring and scraping the bottom continuously.  Butter will froth up and then begin to brown.

When butter smells nutty and is almost as dark as the sugar, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, cream, and salt.  Return to heat, continuing to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.

Bring butter to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into a jar for storage.  Butterscotch will continue to set as it cools.

Spoon into the indentations set in the cookies.  Drizzle more over the top.  Allow to cool and set before serving.

Store any remaining browned butterscotch in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Rice Crispy Treats are one of those things that I feel are hit or miss.  Too often, they are too hard or dry, with not nearly enough gooey marshmallow in the mix.  This always makes me sad.  You can't get much better than gooey marshmallow!  I've played with the traditional recipe a bit, but it wasn't until I tried my mother-in-law's, that I felt I was really close to perfection.

These Rice Crispy Treats are gooey and marshmallowy (is that even a word?) and oh-so-good!  The browned butter takes a practically perfect recipe up a notch and these things are irresistible!  You can also mix things up, with different cereals.  (Try chocolate Cheerios, Reese's Puffs, or Fruity Pebbles)

Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

• 1/2 c salted butter
• 1/4 c dark brown sugar
• one 10 oz bag mini marshmallows
• 5-6 c Rice Crispies cereal

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, and lightly spray with cooking oil. Set aside.  Measure out your brown sugar and cereal into separate bowls.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue stirring until it begins to brown and has that lovely nutty aroma.

Turn heat to low and add the marshmallows and brown sugar.  Stir, just until the marshmallows and sugar have melted.

Remove from heat and stir in 5 cups of the Rice Crispies Cereal.  It will be loose and gooey, but if it feels like the marshmallows are completely taking over, add a little more of the cereal.  (I usually end up using between 5 and 5 1/2 cups)

Dump in to prepared pan and spread out to the edges, pressing down to compact everything together.

Try to wait at least a few minutes so it won't burn you before you dig in!


To Make the Candy Corn Rice Crispy Treats

You will essentially be tripling the recipe.  Make the first layer as indicated above.

Make another batch, but this time as the marshmallows and sugar are melting, stir in some yellow food coloring, until desired color is reached.  Continue mixing in cereal.  Pour over top of the plain layer and press down to join.

Make a final batch, adding orange food coloring this time.  Spread over the yellow layer, press down, and allow to cool.

Once everything is cooled, lift out of the pan and cut (across the 9inch side) strips about 2 inches wide.

Turn the slice on it's side and cut on an angle to create triangles.  (see picture)

This recipe is perfect for taking to a Halloween Party, as it will feed a crowd.  If you want a little less, cut the original recipe in half (1/4 c butter, 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, half a bag-5 oz- mini marshmallows, 2 1/2-3 c Rice Crispies Cereal) and make in an 8x8 pan.

Remember that caramel sauce I made a little while ago?  You'll definitely want to make up another batch for these cookies (and for some other cookies coming later)!  *Note: I cooked the caramel sauce a bit longer to make it a little thicker.  Also, you'll probably want to just make up a big batch of browned butter for this, and a few other recipes coming up.

Browned Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles

Be sure to check back for the rest of the recipes from this year's 12 Days of Cookies!


Here's the recipe I promised yesterday.  Another flavor combination with my browned butter almond shortbread.  I can't get enough of these cookies!  You can try it with any number of different jam flavors, but the boysenberry is my favorite.  The almond glaze brings out the almond flavor in the cookies and they just melt in your mouth.

Boysenberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies 

• 1 c. salted butter
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 c. flour
• Boysenberry jam

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp almond extract

In a medium sauce pan, melt 1 c. butter over medium heat.  Cook, stirring continuously, until butter turns brown and starts to smell nutty.  Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature (or put it in the fridge to firm up just a little bit.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Mix in the flour.

Form the dough into a rectangle and wrap in plastic.  Chill a few hours until firm (overnight is easiest).  Dough will be pretty solid.  Cut into 24 pieces.  Roll into balls and make an indentation in the top.  Chill dough again, 10-15 minutes or so.  You want dough to be firm when you bake it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Fill each indentation with about 1/2 tsp boysenberry jam.  Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes.  Allow to cool on baking sheet.

Be sure to check back for the rest of the recipes from this year's 12 Days of Cookies!


I don't remember the last time I made thumbprint cookies.  I've had some less-than-stellar versions in the past and I decided it was finally time to come up with a recipe that I really like.  After a little bit of tweaking, let me just say, these cookies are awesome!  The best part...the dough is super versatile.  It's a great, basic shortbread and is great as-is, but it also works well with a number of different flavor combinations.  In fact, I have another recipe coming tomorrow using this same dough (as well as a few more in mind, so keep your eyes open).  Make a double batch of this dough and save some of it for tomorrow's recipe!

Chocolate Filled Thumbprint Cookies

• 1 c. salted butter
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 c. flour

• 4 oz. chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp salted butter

In a medium sauce pan, melt 1 c. butter over medium heat.  Cook, stirring continuously, until butter turns brown and starts to smell nutty.  Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature (or put it in the fridge to firm up just a little bit.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the vanilla and almond extract, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Mix in the flour.

Form the dough into a rectangle and wrap in plastic.  Chill a few hours until firm (overnight is easiest).  Dough will be pretty solid.  Cut into 24 pieces.  Roll into balls and make an indentation in the top.  Chill dough again, 10-15 minutes or so.  You want dough to be firm when you bake it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes.  Allow to cool on baking sheet.

While cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate and 2 Tbsp butter in a double boiler, or a heat proof bowl set over simmering water.  Spoon melted chocolate into "thumbprints" in cooled cookies.  Allow chocolate to cool and set.  Enjoy!  Makes 24 cookies.