Brown Sugar Cookies

January 5, 2021

I always thought a sugar cookie was a basic cookie. That is until I met a brown sugar cookie. Nice to meet you brown sugar cookie.

This is probably the juncture where you realize you never thought much about brown sugar. Why are there both light and dark brown sugars on the shelf at the supermarket? Are they interchangeable? Do I really need to keep both in my house when I’d really like to use the extra room in my baking cabinet for more chocolate chips? (We all stick our hand in the chocolate chip bag on a bad day). Yes, you do need both light and dark brown sugars. And the difference between the two sugars is the molasses content. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than light brown sugar, and therefore has a more toffee-like taste. Sometimes you want that. That’s not to say that if you are covered in flour and realize that you have the wrong variety in your kitchen you shouldn’t just use what you have. You should! But know there is a difference.

That leads us back to our cookie. What’s genius about this cookie is that not only do you use dark brown sugar, you add extra molasses to the batter! The result is a carmel-like, toffee-ish taste that is unbeatable. It’s even worth buying the molasses for, so go scribble molasses (not the blackstrap variety) on your list if you don’t have it in your pantry.

Note-The difference between blackstrap molasses and regular molasses is a whole different thing that I’m not going to get into now, but I wanted to make the differentiation.

Your cookie eaters will thank you for this simple treat. Enjoy every last delicious bite.

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Brown Sugar Cookie

Adapted from Sara Kieffer 100 Cookies

For the Cookie:

2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (364 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (250 grams) dark brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon molasses

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar and 1/4 cup (50 grams) turbinado sugar, mixed together, for rolling (If you only have granulated sugar its ok, just use 1/2 cup rather than mixing the two sugars together.)

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Directions:

Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper. ( I you don’t have 3 cookie sheets it ok, but if you do it will just make the process go faster.)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and the molasses and continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the egg, the extra yolk, and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Place the granulated sugar and turbinado sugar in a medium bowl. Mix together with a spoon.

Form the cookies into 1 1/2 ounce balls ( 2 tablespoons). Roll each ball between your palms until it is perfectly circular. Roll each ball in the sugar mixture and place 6 cookies on each pan.

Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake 10-11 minutes, until the sides are set and the bottoms are light golden brown. The middles will appear under-baked.

When the cookies come out of the oven, leave them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Finally, remove them and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 18 cookies

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