Cookie Project!

For the past month, I've been given the task of making cookies for the weekly meeting at my husband's office. It's been fun experimenting with new recipes, and getting the chance to make old favorites, like these.

Last week I made these - Brown Butter, Brown Sugar Cookies. Simple, without the addition of chips, pretzels, or any salty/sweet combo I've been playing around with lately, but just as delicious.

Brown Butter, Brown Sugar Cookies

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

for rolling:
1/4 c. (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 c. (1 3/4 oz) light brown sugar

1 3/4 c. (12 1/4 oz) light brown sugar
2 c. + 2 T (10 2/3 oz) AP flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
14 T (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment. With your hands, mix together 1/4 c. brown and white sugar in a shallow dish or bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Brown 10 T of the butter in a skillet. (This site provides a great how-to). Pour the butter into a large bowl and add the remaining 4 T of butter, stir until melted. Let sit for 15 minutes or until it comes to room temp.

Add the 1 3/4 c. brown sugar and stir until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until it just comes together (I ended up using my favorite mixing utensil, my hands, to mix everything together).

Using a cookie scoop, or tablespoons, scoop out balls of dough and rool in the sugar mixture to coat evenly. Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Baking the cookies in a preheated oven until the edges are set and are just beginning to brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies will look slightly raw between the cracks, don't worry - they'll continue cooking a bit once they're out of the oven.

Let rest on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then slide the cookies and parchment paper off the pan onto the counter. Use a spatula or offset spatula to remove.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen, depending on the size of your cookie scoop. Eat in abundance or share with your friends - you made them, it's your choice! :)

Next up - Crisp Rice/Marshmallow cookies. They're too much!

Salted oatmeal cookies

You asked (well, at least one of you did), so I delivered. This was the second of three things I made yesterday as part of my birthday baking bonanza - still to come, Valrhona chocolate chip brownies.

This recipe comes from one of my go-to cookbooks, The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.

Salty Oat Cookies
(from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)

1 c. (5 oz) AP flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. table salt
16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp
1 c. (7 oz) sugar
1/4 c. (1 3/4 oz) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. (10 1/2 oz) old-fashioned oats
1/2 t. coarse sea salt (don't use table or kosher salt, you want something big and flaky - I'm a fan Falksalt Crystal Flakes)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment. Whisk flour, baking soda and table salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 mins in a mixer, longer if using a handheld mixer). Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds (don't overmix). Mix in the oats until just incorporated.

Using a cookie scoop (whatever size you've got, mine is 1 Tablespoon), form balls and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with the salt.

Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 17 minutes, switching and rotating the pans halfway through baking. The cookies may not look completely done by now, but they'll firm up out of the oven.

Cool cookies on a the pans and then transfer to a rack or eat right away. They have the appearance of being wholesome, so I'm all for it if you want to eat a couple for breakfast.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Cookies

Valentine's Cookies
Originally uploaded by the schneider clan

I knew I forgot something! I've been working at a local bakery/sandwich shop very part-part-part time (like 5 hours a month), and last time I was there I was on cookie duty. I loved the way these turned out!



PS - I forgot to bring my camera the day I made the cookies, so Doug went back the next day to take these. Thanks, Dougie!