Americas Test Kitchen Brown Sugar Cookies Recipes

THE PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE - WITH A TWIST!

Steps:

• To make the cookies: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until dough looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer dough to counter; knead just until it forms cohesive mass and divide in half. Form each half into disk, wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Let dough thaw completely in refrigerator before rolling.)
• Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll dough 1/8 inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Slide dough, still between parchment, onto baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Working with 1 sheet of dough at a time, remove top piece of parchment and cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters. Using thin offset spatula, transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving.
• To make glaze: Mix ingredients together. Coloring the glaze is optional.
• Editor's note: To each completely cooled cookie, apply a small dollop of glaze and spread out into a thin layer with the back of a spoon or offset spatula, careful not to spill over the edges. While glaze is still wet, add sprinkles. Allow to dry before serving.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside. Place sugar and cream cheese in large bowl. Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until soft homogeneous dough forms. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each (or use #40 portion scoop). Using hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and evenly space on prepared baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with 4 teaspoons of sugar remaining in shallow dish (2 teaspoons per tray), discarding any remaining sugar. Bake, 1 tray at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating tray after 7 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

AMERICA'S BEST BROWN SUGAR COOKIE

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle and heat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• 2. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in 10 inch skillet (not non-stick if possible, they make it harder to judge when butter is browned). Swirl melted butter over heat until it is dark golden brown and smells nutty, 1 to 3 min. Transfer butter to heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into hot butter to melt. Set aside for 15 min.
• 3. Combine granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar and a dash of salt in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
• 4. Whisk the flour, soda, baking powder,together in a medium bowl.
• 5. Stir the remaining 1 3/4 brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in to the cooled butter until evenly combined. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour mixture, mix until just combined, about 1 min.
• 6. Working with a small cookie scoop, 2 inches, or 2 tablespoons of dough, roll the dough into balls. Working in batches, roll the balls in the reserved sugars and place them on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
• 7. Bake cookies, ONE sheet at a time, until browned slightly around the edges, set but soft in the center, rotating the sheet half way through the baking time. In my oven it is 11 minutes. Do not overbake as they become crisper when cooling. They do not look quite done. Bake only a few if you want to to try out your oven and timing. I always turn cookie sheets in the middle, all cookies.
• 8. Cool the cookies for 5 min. on sheet then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temp. if you can! Bake next batch the same way, turning in the middle. The cookies keep 3 days in air tight container. We never get to the second day.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
• Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
• Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
• Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN - BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat 10 tablespoons (5 oz) butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan frequently until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In a pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Then add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give the dough a final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The easiest way to do this is to use a 2 tablespoon sized disher. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per 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. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

BELGIAN SPICE COOKIES (SPECULOOS)

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Add turbinado sugar to food processor fitted with steel blade. Process for 30 seconds to break down sugar crystals. (See Tip 4)
• Add the chilled butter to the food processor. Process until butter is incorporated with the sugar, about 30 seconds. Add the egg. Process until incorporated, about 10 seconds.
• Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/butter mixture in the food processor. Process until flour is well incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer cookie dough to gallon Ziploc bag. Leaving the top open, roll the dough into an even layer that fills the bag. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so that it doesn't cause creases. Seal the bag, and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. See (Tips 5 and 6)
• Preheat oven to 300°F
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Put the ziploc bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough onto a parchment lined board or counter; discard the bag. Trim the four sides of the dough with a fluted pastry wheel cutter. Using a ruler as a guide and a fluted pastry cutter wheel, cut the dough into 32 1-1/4 inch rectangles. (See Tip 7)
• Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes.
• Yield: 32 Belgian Spice Cookies. (See Tip 8)