Brown Sugar Cookies

I love cookies! I love these cookies! I love cookie dough! I pretty much love anything that involves cookies! Obviously since it was Halloween yesterday I had to make cookies. I mean what else do you do on Halloween? There is not nearly enough candy and sugar floating around that I just had to make cookies as well. And not just any cookies. I had to make these cookies. Sugar cookies are wonderful. A good sugar cookies is fantastic. A sugar cookie that involves browned butter and brown sugar...WOW. You all know by now the soft spot I have in my heart for browned butter right? Yep I love it. These cookies did not change my love for browned butter at all.  If anything it might have increased my love for it. It really just adds so much richness and caramel like flavor to every recipe.

 Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

Directions:

1. In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 10 tablespoons butter until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to the heat-proof bowl of a stand mixer. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. While butter is cooling, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
4. Add 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; attach paddle and mix on medium-low speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, almond extract and vanilla and mix on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
5. Roll into a 1 round balls. Place on a silpat lined cookie sheet. Flatten cookie slightly with palm of hand or bottom of a drinking glass.
6. 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.
7. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
8. If desired frost cooled cookies. I used this frosting and loved it!

Yields: 24 cookies

Recipe Source: Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen