The #1 Vacation Cookie My Associates and Household Request 12 months After 12 months

Each vacation season I give out cookie bins to my family and friends. Every field incorporates 5 – 6 completely different cookies, and whereas it’s laborious to whittle it right down to my favourite few, I nearly all the time embrace a shortbread cookie. Shortbread is ideal for gifting, because it usually retains effectively for a number of days.

I like to decorate my shortbread cookies up just a little with darkish brown sugar and a glittery sugar-coated exterior. For the previous 5 years, I’ve included this shortbread in my bins. They’re my superb cookies: tender, with caramel notes from brown sugar, and are simply salty sufficient. They’re all the time a success—a lot in order that my family members have began asking for the recipe. Learn on for the strategies I take advantage of to make these cookies and for the total recipe. 

The Key Methods for Making the Greatest Brown Sugar Shortbread

For shortbread that stays moister and more energizing for longer, use brown sugar.

Shortbread is usually made with simply butter, granulated sugar, flour, and salt. Whereas traditional shortbread cookies are scrumptious, their simplicity additionally means they’re nice for riffs. In my recipe beneath, I swap granulated sugar for darkish brown sugar, which not solely provides a deep butterscotch taste, but additionally makes for a softer cookie. Brown sugar incorporates molasses; the thick syrup is hygroscopic—which implies it attracts moisture to itself—so these cookies keep recent and moist for days.

Incorporate baking soda. This recipe incorporates baking soda, which isn’t usually present in shortbread. Right here, baking soda reacts with the mildly acidic brown sugar, giving the cookies a delicate elevate for a shortbread that’s lighter and extra tender than the common shortbread. 

Roll the logs tightly. The perfect factor in regards to the slice-and-bake methodology is that it doesn’t require any particular tools for shaping the cookies. There’s no want for a rolling pin or cookie scoop—you simply should type the dough into two logs, wrap every tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate it. 

Slice-and-bake cookies can find yourself crumbly if the logs aren’t fashioned appropriately, although, so the important thing to stopping your cookies from falling aside is to make sure the dough is rolled as densely as potential earlier than you wrap it tightly in plastic. For the roundest potential cookies, roll every log of dough back-and-forth to even out the form as soon as they’re wrapped—the plastic will assist maintain every little thing in place. 

(If you would like actually uniform, completely spherical cookies, it’s also possible to roll the dough out between two items of parchment till it’s a half-inch thick, chill it till agency, then use a spherical cutter to stamp out as many cookies as potential. It’s a way many pastry cooks use when making shortbread cookies, however because it’s barely fussier, it’s not one I take advantage of in my recipe.)

Add some sparkle and crunch with sugar. As soon as the dough has chilled, all that’s left to do is slice the logs into half-inch thick rounds with a pointy knife, coat the cookies in sugar, and bake. Whereas it is not important, coating the cookies in granulated sugar earlier than baking offers them a glittery, crispy exterior. I additionally wish to sprinkle every cookie with a pinch of flaky salt for just a little pop of savoriness.  

The great thing about these little cookies lies of their simplicity. They’re simple to make, require just a few components, and have a wealthy, butterscotch-y taste. Whereas these cookies are a staple of my vacation cookie bins, they’re actually great any time of yr—whether or not as a present or to take pleasure in your self together with a scorching cup of espresso or tea.

Prepare dinner Mode
(Preserve display awake)

• 227g unsalted butter (8 ounces; 2 sticks), at room temperature

• 150g darkish brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 3/4 cup)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 288g all-purpose flour (10 ounces; 2 1/4 cups)

• 50g granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 1/4 cup), for coating

• Flaky salt, for topping

1. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla on medium-high pace till clean and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add flour, and blend on low pace till simply mixed, about 1 minute. Utilizing a versatile spatula, scrape bowl and beater to verify there are not any streaks of unmixed dough, then knead frivolously in opposition to sides of bowl. Halve the dough; place 1 portion of dough again into bowl.

2. On a chopping board or work floor, form dough right into a 1 1/2-inch broad log about 8 inches lengthy and wrap tightly with plastic, twisting the ends of the plastic like a Tootsie Pop. As soon as wrapped, roll log underneath your fingers in a back-and-forth movement to make sure log is clean, even, and tight throughout. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill till agency, about 1 hour. Line two 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment; put aside.

3. Modify oven rack to center place and preheat to 325°F (160ºC). Take away plastic wrap and set dough logs on a clear chopping board. Utilizing a pointy chef’s knife, slice every dough log into rounds simply shy of 1/2 inch; you need to have 16 cookies per log. Place granulated sugar in a large bowl. Dip every cookie in granulated sugar to frivolously coat, then set on ready baking sheets, taking care to depart about an inch of house between every cookie. Sprinkle every cookie with a pinch of flaky salt.

4. Bake 1 sheet of cookies till they’ve very barely puffed and are matte and dry to the contact, about quarter-hour. (The cookies should really feel fairly comfortable however will agency up as they cool.) Repeat with remaining baking sheet.

5. Let cool for five to 10 minutes earlier than serving. Take pleasure in heat or at room temperature.

Variations

Strive mixing in a single cup complete of coarsely chopped darkish chocolate and/or nuts. For additional crunch, brush every log of dough with overwhelmed egg, then roll the dough in sesame seeds or shredded coconut (as a substitute of sugar) earlier than slicing.

Particular Gear

Stand mixer, versatile spatula, parchment paper, bench scraper, plastic wrap, chopping board, sharp knife

Make-Forward and Storage

To freeze unbaked cookies, lay sliced unsugared dough on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.  Freeze till strong. Switch to an hermetic container or resealable gallon-sized zip-top bag. Unbaked cookies will be frozen for as much as 3 months. 

To bake frozen cookies, take away sliced cookies from freezer and prepare on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Let thaw barely for 10 minutes, till cookies are nonetheless chilly however now not frozen. Dip every cookie in 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar to frivolously coat, then set on ready baking sheets, taking care to depart about an inch of house between every cookie. Sprinkle every cookie with a pinch of flaky salt. 

Baked cookies will be saved in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 4 days or frozen for as much as 3 months. If frozen, thaw at room temperature.