Christmas Treasure Drop Cookies

Note there is inactive dough chill time of at least one hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

To toast the nuts: Spread nuts on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Stir them around occasionally (every 5 minutes or so) to ensure they are not burning. Once toasted, set aside.

To brown the butter: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the melted butter until brown specks appear at the bottom—it will froth and foam a bit. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. Place ½ cup of the browned butter into a heatproof bowl and whisk in an ice cube. This will be used for the cookies. Place the remaining ¼ cup aside to use for the frosting.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the ½ cup brown butter and the sugars. Mix on medium speed using an electric mixer until smooth and combined, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the toasted nuts, maraschino cherries and chocolate chips.

Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight. Turn off the oven if you are chilling overnight. Then preheat the oven to 350°F prior to baking.

Place scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared pans spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make frosting while the cookies are cooling. Place the remaining ¼ cup brown butter, 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Beat on medium until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining sugar ¼ cup at a time until the frosting has reached your desired consistency. It should be thick enough to easily spread.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a nice layer of frosting on each one. Serve and enjoy!