These chewy, moist, and delicious cookies have quickly become a favorite for me and my family (next to the sugar cookie).
What makes them so special is the butter (and the brown sugar!). Instead of whipping room temperature butter until it's light and fluffy, like most traditional cookies, you brown the butter in this recipe.
Have you ever browned butter before?
Browning the butter makes for a more buttery, toffee flavored cookie. And it is so darn good.
You can bake this recipe into cookies, or a cookie pie.
Since hot Summer days deter me from leaving my oven on for too long, I find it quick and easy to bake a cookie pie . . . and then I slice it up and serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
. . . or how about a soft scoop of Pumpkin ice cream in the Fall!?
brown butter brown sugar cookies
24 cookies
. . . . . . .
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
. . . . . . .
TOPPING
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
. . . . . . .
TOPPING
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
. . . . . . .
Preparation
In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 10
tablespoons butter until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring
constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3
minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to the heat-proof
bowl of a stand mixer. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to
melt; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
While butter is cooling, adjust oven rack to middle position
and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar
and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until WELL combined;
set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and
baking powder; set aside.
Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with
cooled butter; attach paddle and mix on medium-low speed until no sugar lumps
remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add
egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix on medium-low speed until fully incorporated,
about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just
combined, about 1 minute.
Roll two heaping tablespoons of dough into ball between your
palms, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and then place it on the prepared
baking sheet spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit
12 cookies on each sheet).
Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still
puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look
raw between cracks and seem underdone); 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet
halfway through baking.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies
cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then using a wide metal spatula, transfer the
cookies to the rack to cool completely.
Recipe Note: Use fresh brown sugar, as older (harder and
drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry.
recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated
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