Brown Sugar-Sugar Cookies

I made cookies.

Ok, well that isn’t really giant, earth-shattering news, but cookies make people happy, right?

This week is the start of the annual two week state testing what-cha-ma-call it in Colorado. I’ve had to take that stupid test for eight years…EIGHT YEARS! It’s pure torture; the prompts are dumb and it’s just not a fun test. Last year was the first year that I didn’t have to take the state test, but I had to go to ACT prep classes. This year I am totally FREE! So what do I do? I make brown sugar-sugar cookies.

Yup. I absolutely love the taste of brown sugar. I think it is God’s gift to the baking world. It makes everything taste so warm and homey. Mmm. I’m not much of a sugar cookie gal, but when I found these on Joy’s site and just fell in love with the idea of having a sugar cookie, but have it taste like brown sugar.

The cookie dough is kind of crumbly, but when packed it forms nicely together. The cookies are soft but firm at the same time. Joy also added cinnamon and ginger to amp up the flavor profile. As the cookies baked, the whole house smelled of spice, and as soon as I opened the oven door, a wave of cinnamon passed through, which made me sigh in delight.

My family seemed to really like the cookies, even my sister, who as I’ve mentioned before, never eats anything I make. I will admit, though, that these are not my favorite cookies. I have to be in a certain mood, and outside has to be just right for me to enjoy a spice cookie. But, when I want to feel warm and cozy, I’ll probably bake these up again.

Brown Sugar-Sugar Cookies
From Joy theBaker
Makes 26 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
½ cup + 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium for another minute or two.
3. Slow the mixer speed down to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated. Turn the mixer on medium and beat for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  
4. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Once the dough has chilled, use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to space the cookies about two inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack.