Sometimes I come across a recipe that is supposedly Amish and it doesn’t seem quite right… like I just can’t imagine that the Amish rely much on canned Cream of Mushroom Soup, but maybe I’m wrong. This recipe though feels spot-on – it takes basic baking ingredients and transforms them into a fluffy, cakey cookie with sweet, simple butterscotch and buttermilk flavor. It’s an easy drop cookie that tastes homemade in the best way possible, in the way that fills up your soul right along with your stomach.
This is not a crispy cookie. This is a cookie with one of the cakiest bites I’ve ever had. It’s soft and fluffy and there isn’t even a hint of crunch. And there aren’t nuts or oats or chocolate chips to mess with that texture – just pillowy fluff through and through.
The flavor is pure too. It’s simple, with a vanilla base and a slight buttermilk tang, but the glaze really takes things up a notch. The glaze reminds me of butterscotch, with plenty of brown sugar in it but also some buttermilk to balance out the toffee flavor. This isn’t a time to skip the glaze – it’s what makes these special.
You know that moment when you want to make cookies on a whim so badly but you’re out of chocolate chips? This is the cookie to turn to. It’s mostly ingredients you’re bound to have on hand and there’s no chilling or rolling to worry about. They’re just easy. They’re just delicious. It’s as simple as that.
Amish Buttermilk Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla and buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, mixing in between until combined.
- Slowly pour in buttermilk mixture. Reduce speed to low and add flour in three increments.
- Drop cookies in 2 tablespoon portions 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are just golden brown, 9-11 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, make the glaze:
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly. Once melted, stir in salt and buttermilk. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached. Let cool until thickened and spread or drizzle over cookies. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Amish 365.