Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with White Chocolate

Brown the Butter (10-12 minutes): In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter emits a nutty aroma. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl, scraping all the browned bits. This is liquid gold!

Chill the Brown Butter (1.5-2 hours): Refrigerate the brown butter until it solidifies but remains soft – like softened butter. This is crucial for the right cookie texture.

Preheat and Prep (5 minutes): Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream the Base (5-7 minutes): In a large bowl, beat the chilled brown butter and softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated and brown sugars, beating until well combined and the mixture is light.

Incorporate Wet Ingredients (2-3 minutes): Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

Combine Dry Ingredients (2 minutes): In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Mix Dough (3-5 minutes): Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped white chocolate.

Prepare Cinnamon-Sugar Coating (1 minute): In a shallow dish, whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating.

Shape and Coat (10-15 minutes): Scoop 1 1/2- to 2-tablespoon portions of dough. Roll each portion into a ball, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat evenly. Arrange the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake (8-10 minutes): Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set but not browned. They should still be slightly soft in the center.

Cool (10 minutes on sheet, then on rack): Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from breaking.