Ben's Favorite Cookies

A couple weeks ago I passed along a recipe to my mom for brown sugar cookies (you can probably guess where I found it), which I had made last year for my school's annual Christmas lunch.  When she made them at home my youngest brother raved about them and in his loving, teenage-boy manner, told me I was crazy for not making them all. the. time. 

So Ben, this post is for you....

Brown Sugar Cookies
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

14 T. butter
2 c. packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown b/c I had it on hand)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 c. + 2 T. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 T. vanilla extract

1. Melt 10 T. butter in a 10 in. skillet over med-high heat, about 2 min.  Continue to cook, swirling the pan until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma (yum!), 1-3 min.  Transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl.  Stir the remaining 4 T. butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper (if you have it).  In a shallow bowl, mix 1/4 cup of brown sugar with the granulated sugar, rubbing the mixture between your fingers until well combined; set aside.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add the remaining 1 3/4 c. brown sugar and the salt to the bowl with the cooled butter; mix until no lumps remain.  Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined, about 1 min.

4. Divide the dough into 24 portions, each about 2 T., rolling them between your hands into balls.  Coat each with the sugar mixture and set on the prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are browned and still puffy and the edges have begun to set, but the centers are still soft (the cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone), 12-14 min, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.  Do not overbake.

6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 min.; then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Seriously, Ben isn't kidding...these things are amazing!  A "crackling crisp exterior and a chewy interior" with a "complex nuttiness" and dare I say caramel, butterscotch flavor.  Yum!