Delicious Amish Buttermilk Cookies
Soft and puffy Amish Buttermilk Cookies with a thick caramelized glaze will be the next snack item on your kitchen counter. It’s fortunate that each batch yields almost 50 cookies because they disappear quickly!
Amish Buttermilk Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup White sugar
- 1 Cup Brown sugar
- 1 Cup Shortening
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- 4 Cups All-purpose flour
Glaze
- ¾ Cup Unsalted butter
- 1½ Cup Brown sugar packed
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 3 Tbsp Milk
- to 3/4 Cup Powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to mix. Put aside. Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla together in a small dish. Put aside.
- Beat the sugars and shortening on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until frothy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- One by one, add the eggs, mixing just until combined, and then turn the speed down to medium-low.
- Slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture after scraping down the sides. Three additions of the flour mixture should be made after lowering the mixer to low. Just until there are a few flour streaks left, scrape down the sides and continue to mix for a few more seconds.
- Line the baking sheets with 2 tablespoons of dough, separating them by 2 inches, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring constantly, then stir in the milk and salt. Take off the heat and add the powdered sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until the mixture achieves a spreadable consistency. Allow to cool until thickened, then decorate the cooled cookies as you think fit.
What Makes Amish Buttermilk Cookies So Special?
Would you believe me if I said “science” when asked what makes buttermilk cookies so extra delicious? I’m not a scientist, so I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible. In the days when butter was made by churning, buttermilk was simply the leftover cream after the butter was churned out.
After a few days, the natural product left behind was a creamy, slightly acidic, and almost tangy liquid. When buttermilk and baking powder are combined, a chemical reaction produces a natural rise, which is the basis for making these cookies so light and fluffy.
Carmelized Glaze
This recipe yields a lot of glaze, but I like to have extra for ice cream or cakes. The caramelization process adds so much extra sweet flavour that you can eat this cookie without the glaze.
Some people might prefer it that way, but I like the texture and flavour explosion this caramelized glaze gives off. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an airtight container; warm it up a little before serving.
Make your own buttermilk if you don’t have any on hand!