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Brown Sugar Cookies

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"This dead-easy sugar cookie has bold notes of butterscotch and toffee. Who could resist? We can't, which is why this has become one of our favorite cookies for everyday baking. Turning up the volume on a plain sugar cookie was as easy as swapping out granulated sugar for brown (for its deep toffee notes) and browning the butter, which gave it a nutty flavor and aroma. Adding a full tablespoon of vanilla underscored the caramel notes, which we balanced with a dash of salt. For the signature crystalline sugar-cookie coating, we stuck with brown sugar but added a little white sugar to prevent clumping. Resist the temptation to bake both sheets at once, and pull the cookies from the oven when slightly soft; a light touch should produce a slight indentation in the cookie's surface. Use fresh, moist brown sugar for cookies with the best texture."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ 1 ¾ cups packed (12 ¼ ounces) dark brown sugar, plus ¼ cup for rolling
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
â—¦ ¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) granulated sugar


Recipe

Melt 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, swirling skillet constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to large bowl and stir in remaining 4 tablespoons butter until melted; let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350° F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in bowl.

Whisk 1 ¾ cups brown sugar and salt into cooled browned butter until smooth and no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Whisk in egg and yolk and vanilla until incorporated, another 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.

Combine remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and granulated sugar in shallow dish. Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls, then roll in sugar to coat; space dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. (Dough balls can be frozen for up to 1 month; bake frozen dough balls on one baking sheet set inside second sheet in 325° F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.)

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, puffy, and cracked (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving.

Makes 24 cookies