Chewy Sugar Cookies #2
Nice work, mrslarkin!
Mrslarkin combines three kinds of sugar in her cookies: granulated, light brown and turbinado.
As with most cookies, the butter and sugar and creamed first.
Ready to go!
Merrill measures carefully, running the straight edge of a knife across the top of the measuring spoons for accuracy.
Next up: vanilla extract.
Then a lone egg.
After mixing in the flour and baking soda, we pause for an important decision: who gets to taste the dough first?
It was so hot in New York we decided to briefly chill the dough to make it easier to work with. Then we lined it up next to the turbinado sugar (for rolling) and a parchment-lined baking sheet...
Cookie dough on a turbinado beach.
Merrill shapes the dough into perfect rounds.
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A&M say: Mrslarkin’s classic sugar cookie makes use of three sugars: granulated, light brown and turbinado. The granulated gives the cookie a foundation of sweetness, the light brown adds caramel notes and the turbinado’s in there for a little snap. They’re crisp and buttery on the edges and chewy through the center. Perfect for dunking and ice cream sandwiches, we think! Note, if baking them on a dark, non-stick baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees (this is a good general rule for all baking). - A&M
mrslarkin says: One of the things I like best about this sugar cookie is that it’s not tooth-achingly sweet. It’s got a nice proportion of crunch-to-chew. And it’s so sparkly from the turbinado sugar! The inspiration behind this cookie came from the New York Times’ chocolate chip cookie recipe, printed March 1, 2000, one of the best chewy cookies I’ve ever tasted. - mrslarkin
Serves about 2 dozen
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (I use King Arthur)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup turbinado, or coarse sugar
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugars for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl. Continue beating for another minute. Scrape bowl again.
- Add vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add egg. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add flour, salt and baking soda. Beat 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for another minute.
- Place course sugar in small, shallow bowl. Using a small cookie/ice cream scoop (mine is 1 ½“ in diameter), scoop balls of dough and drop a few at a time in the course sugar and gently roll around. Place balls of dough on parchment, leaving about 1 ½“ space around each. My pans fit 12 cookies very comfortably.
- Do not press the balls down. This will ensure a chewy middle.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, turning and reversing pans midway through baking. Resist the urge to bake your cookies longer, or they won’t be chewy. The tops don’t get much color, but the bottoms will be nicely golden.
- Place pans on cooling racks. When cool, store cookies in air-tight containers.
- Your Best Chewy Sugar Cookie Contest Winner!
Tags: chewy
1 day ago Anubha
Can I make these without eggs
1 day ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
yes, but they probably won't be very chewy. Let us know if you try it!
14 days ago Vickie
I just baked these today, after making them before Christmas! After scooping them onto a baking sheet, popped them into freezer until chilled and then into a freezer bag. I thawed these little gems, then rolled in the sugar - wow- these are wonderful!
13 days ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
That is great to hear, Vickie! So glad you enjoyed them.
about 1 month ago DBDubs
Yum! These were easy and delicious.
about 1 month ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Yay! So glad you liked them!
2 months ago ChefCatou
Au contraire! You totally can do it with these. I have now done so three times. I bump the flour up by about a half cup...maybe a bit more. And I cook them til golden (just keep an eye on them). I always add a little extra salt since that sweet-savory thing is so good. Chill well and roll 'em out just like any sugar cookie recipe for cut outs. I have also made them the regular way over a dozen times. Everyone loves these. Definitely try them with cookie cutters.
2 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
That is great to know, CC! Thanks for letting us know!
There you go, kitchenqween, it CAN be done!
2 months ago kitchenqween
I would love to make therse but I want to do cookie cutouts. Not sure if the recipe matters but could I do this with this particualar recipe??
2 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
I don't think so. Cut out cookies should be thin and crispy, like Amanda's recipe for cut-out cookies: http://www.food52.com/recipes...
7 months ago CultureVulture
Just made these! I divided the batch and made one half "plain" and one half with a bit of jam on top.
7 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
So glad you made these, CultureVulture! The jam version sound delicious! Hope you liked them!
9 months ago Sweeney
I finally made these and I have to say - no damn mystery why these won the prize - they are superb in every way! Irv and I had to beat each other away from them so there was some left to share. I do have a question - for larger quantities, do you make many small batches or if you do double or triple the amount, are there any adjustments you make in the doubling or tripling of ingredients? Thank you and see you around the hood!
9 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Hello Sweeney! So very glad you and Irv enjoyed the #2s. I've successfully doubled (and probably tripled) this recipe. I have a 7 qt mixer, so it can accommodate quite a bit of dough. No adjustments necessary. See you soon!
9 months ago triplip
why did mine come out so puffy? they are tasty, but didn't flatten out like yours!
9 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Hi triplip, sometimes mine come out puffier than I'd like when I've overbeaten the dough and/or baked in a too hot oven. I always suggest getting an oven thermometer, just to make sure the oven temperature is accurate. My oven is so inaccurate, it's not funny, so I always keep an oven thermometer inside to make sure it bakes at the temp I need.
10 months ago karnow
Yummy, Mrs. L! XO
9 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
yummy, indeed. thanks karnow!
11 months ago ChefCatou
Fun adaptation: add a scant 1/2 cup of flour to come up with dough that you can roll out for cookie cutter cookies. I refrigerated mine overnight. The cookies, of course, lose their chew but the flavor in a nice crisp cookie is scrumptious! These were gobbled up.
10 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Really great to hear, ChefCatou. Thanks for letting me know.
12 months ago greekmiss
I just made these and they are exactly what I was looking for! I have been looking for chewy sugar cookies for about a year now and finally I have success. Thank you thank you thank you!
12 months ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
you're welcome, greekmiss! So glad you liked these.
about 1 year ago kmitchelluk@gmail.com
Hi. I had the same problem as mohones. My cookies baked up puffy. I will check the oven temp, but was also wondering if there is too much air getting beaten into the dough. I followed the directions and it seemed like a lot of beating. That said, they were still delicious and were gone in one day!
about 1 year ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Hello k! Glad you enjoyed these cookies. Yeah, I think it could also be too much air in the dough, depending on what speed you are using. I generally use a medium/low speed for the whole recipe. But at step 4, when the eggs go in, I use a low speed, especially since I upgraded to a bigger/stronger/faster mixer. Let us know if you try these again.
about 1 year ago Cindgem
These cookies look like what I have been looking for. Can't wait to make them. How long will they store in an airtight tin? Does anyone know? I am bringing them someplace next weekend, and have lots to do this week. Would like to make them as far ahead as possible.
about 1 year ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Hi Cindgem, Thanks for trying these cookies! They store very well airtight for several days. I have a bunch I made 2 days ago. They're still perfectly chewy. I think they'll freeze well, too. I'll stick some in the freezer tonight to see how they taste defrosted tomorrow.
about 1 year ago BlissfulBaker
I bake & freeze these all the time & they defrost very well. Synchronicity: I just made a batch tonight!
over 1 year ago growinggourmand
I feel so honored to get a comment from you on my mock vodka sauce!! Thank you!!! I absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! We made them in our baking class and this summer my sister and my best friend and I created a beautiful memory baking these together at my family summer home! My sister raved about these cookies, but the funniest moment had to be when we gave one to my two year old nephew. His eyes were so huge, because he got one with special sprinkles...( there was no turbinado sugar to be found in that country town ha ha). My sister couldn't wait so she sneaked a bite of his cookie before giving it to him. He started to burst out in tears. We tried to give him another cookie, but he was so distressed that his Mom had stolen a piece of his precious cookie! I felt so bad, but it makes for a great story. All of my family enjoyed it, but especially my little nephew. He eventually calmed down and i think had a few more :)! Well heres the recipe for the chicken... it calls for prosciutto but i used bacon! http://www.finecooking... ENJOY!
over 1 year ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Thank you so much gg! Very glad you enjoyed these cookies. And what a cute story about your nephew!!
Thanks for the link to the chicken recipe as well.
Looking forward to more of your recipe submissions.
over 1 year ago mohnoes
i just made these cookies and they were truly delicious! perfect texture. however, on my first tray, i followed your instruction not to flatten the cookies and they came out dome-shaped. no idea what i could have done wrong, we followed the directions to a tee! so we flattened the rest and they came out just right. =)
over 1 year ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
hi mohnoes! The dome shape could be due to a too hot oven - it's happened to me before. An oven thermometer is really helpful for making sure your oven is accurate. Too much baking soda might also be the cause. Glad you got them to work out!!
over 1 year ago mohnoes
i just made these cookies and they are delicious! however, when i followed your instruction not to flatten them, they came out dome-shaped. i followed the recipe to a tee so i'm not sure what happened. but i did flatten the rest of the cookies and they came out perfectly. =)
over 1 year ago mohnoes
oops, sorry for the double comment!
over 1 year ago mohnoes
i just made these cookies and they are delicious! however, when i followed your instruction not to flatten them, they came out dome-shaped. i followed the recipe to a tee so i'm not sure what happened. but i did flatten the rest of the cookies and they came out perfectly. =)
almost 2 years ago borntobeworn
I made these to take to work and they are Great! I couldn't find turbinado sugar so I used a combination of Demerara sugar and blonde coconut palm sugar which made them very pretty! The only thing I did differently is I let the dough sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours before baking them. I do this regularly now since reading this 2008 NYT article about the benefits of chilling the dough for
cookie recipe that talks about letting the dough chill 36 hours before baking: http://www.nytimes.com... . My son has asked me to make more this weekend. I'll buy the stuff and supervise HIM doing it (he's 16).
almost 2 years ago BlissfulBaker
Have you seen this reply to that article? I love the NYT, but I also love Joy the Baker:
http://www.joythebaker...
almost 2 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
That's great, borntobeworn! Thanks for letting me know! and BB, that's so funny! Not sure I'd be patient enough to wait more than a couple hours for my cookie fix!!
almost 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I agree - heck of a long time to wait for a cookie! I get the logic and science of it, but when I want a cookie, I tend to want it sooner rather than later.
almost 2 years ago MHardison79
These just came out of the oven, and I dont know what to say other than, these are the best sugar cookies that I have ever made. I recommend to anyone reading this recipe, just go ahead and make it already. Its simple, quick, and easy, and the results are beyond delicious. Thanks for such a great recipe mrslarkin, its obvious why you won the Best Chewy Sugar Cookie contest.
almost 2 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Yay! Thanks, MHardison79!! So very glad you enjoyed them!!
almost 2 years ago BlissfulBaker
This weekend was Sugar Cookie Test Kitchen at my house. We tried lots of recipes. For some, we didn't like the flavor. For others, we didn't like the texture. When we got to yours we smiled. Everything was just right. You should rename these Goldilocks Sugar Cookies! Thanks for sharing this recipe - it was a well-deserved win.
almost 2 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Thanks, BB, for letting me know!! I'm so glad your gang enjoyed these!!