Brown Sugar Cashew Cookies
Contributed by Diane S.
Source: 1999 Great American Family Cookie Swap Winner, submitted by Susan
McNamara, Farmington, Minnesota
Preparation time: 70 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes

Soft sour cream drops studded with cashews and topped with elegant browned
butter frosting.

Cookie Ingredients:

 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup Butter, softened
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon vanilla
 2 cups all-purpose flour
 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/3 cup  Sour Cream
 1 3/4 cups cashew halves

Frosting Ingredients:

 1/2 cup  Butter
 2 cups powdered sugar
 3 tablespoons milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°. Combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large mixer
bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2
minutes). Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2
minutes). Reduce speed to low. Beat, adding flour, baking powder and
baking soda alternately with sour cream, until well mixed (1 to 2
minutes). Stir in cashews by hand.

Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Continue
cooking, stirring occasionally, until butter foams and just starts to turn
golden (4 to 6 minutes). (WATCH CLOSELY.) Immediately remove from heat.
Pour into medium bowl; cool 5 minutes.

Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost cooled
cookies. Top with cashew half, if desired.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Nutrition Facts (1 cookie)
Calories: 140
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrate: 17 g
Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sodium: 115 mg