And Now For Something Completely Different: Brown Sugar Cookies

Post written by Stephanie.

I thought it would be fun to include some of my baking excursions in the kitchen to our house blog.  I know it's not home improvement, but it's always nice to share yummy recipes.  I got this one, Brown Sugar Cookies, from my co-worker, Jeri.  It came to me courtesy of America's Test Kitchen, and they're quite delicious.  I had never heard of a brown sugar cookie before, and the richness of the recipe more or less tells me why thanks to the secret weapon of browned butter.  You simply cannot over-indulge on these, like you might a traditional sugar cookie, or you will go into sugar shock.  That said, they're worth a bake every now and then.  I've had this recipe for probably a year now and I've only made them three times despite being so good.  Happy baking, and, of course, enjoy!

Brown Sugar Cookies
makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (I've used light as well and it's perfectly acceptable)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat flour from King Arthur)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted.  Continue to cook, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma.  (It's best not to use a non-stick skillet if possible so you can tell easily when the butter is sufficiently browned.)  Transfer browned butter to a large heat-safe bowl.  Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

Combine the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar in a shallow bowl; set aside.  You'll be rolling the dough in this mixture later.  Whisk the flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium bowl.

Stir the remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and the salt into the cooled butter until evenly combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Carefully roll the balls in the reserved sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until browned and still puffy and the edges have begun to set but the centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Do not over-bake.  (I ended up doing 10 minutes total with six cookies on a 17.25 x 11.5 inch pan.)

Your cookies should look a bit like this when you take them out of the oven.

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.