Monday, March 10, 2008

Brown Sugar Cookies



I'm not sure what to write about these amazing cookies. They were delicious, chewy, deeply flavored and gone very quickly. If I had any complaints it would be that they were a touch too greasy. However, when brown butter is one of the star ingredients, I guess greasiness is hard to avoid. The cookies taste butterscotch-y and almost chocolatey, which threw me for a loop. How can something with no chocolate in it taste chocolatey? I'm thinking it's the burnt milk-solids in the brown butter along with the molasses in the brown sugar that make them so dark and rich.

The recipe can be found here if you have an online membership to America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated.

If you don't have a membership, then I apologize because I don't know if it's right to post the recipe when they want you to pay for it. My conscience says no so I will leave it out. But if you're considering paying the 4 bucks for it, I would say these cookies are worth it.

***EDIT*** the recipe can be found online here for free, and with only one very minor adaptation.

Now I just have to fight the urge to make four more batches and sit on the kitchen floor with Ian (my husband) drooling, shoving cookies in our mouths and snarling at the cat.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love to cook and bake all sorts of things, but I have to admit to having a super weak spot for cookies-- and these look amazing! I've never used brown butter before, though-- do you know if there is any sort of non-dairy alternative? Or is brown butter imperative to the consistency?

Also, as far as posting recipes goes, by law it's perfectly legal to distribute a recipe that you didn't create yourself, so long as you describe the process in your own words.

Suzanne said...

I did a quick search and found some links to vegan brown butter, but it doesn't sound too promising. I think the texture will still be good without the brown butter, but the taste will be different.

Kathy Grace said...

These cookies are like crack. Soooo good. The browned butter (beurre noisette) is absolutely essential, so vegans will just have to watch while the rest of us indulge in hit after hit. A added plus is that they are super-easy to make--melted butter means no mixer required, just a spoon. I roll mine in turbinado sugar for extra-big crystally crunch.

Kathy Grace said...

P.S. I'm with Suzanne on the ethics of publishing their recipe. The brown butter angle is one they developed themselves. Spend the few bucks and get an online subscription. Well worth the $$!