Why These Extra Chewy Sugar Cookies Make Us Want to Break Out in Song

As Food52 gets older (and wiser), and our archive of recipes grows, we’re making the effort to revisit some good-as-gold recipes. Today, we're celebrating our community's chewiest sugar cookies with a brand-new video.

I’ve never understood sugar cookies. Chocolate chip? Snickerdoodle? Peanut butter? Yes, yes, yes. But sugar cookies are plain Janes. They don’t have gooey chunks or gorgeous crackles. Sure, the packaged slice-and-bakes can have cute seasonal designs, but fun doesn’t necessarily translate into flavorful.

Okay—before you rush to the sweet little cookie’s defense, know that I’ve changed my tune! Turns out I just hadn’t met the right sugar for my sugar cookies.

The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate

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Back in 2010, community member WinnieAb and her daughter Maddie shared a recipe that calls for one whole cup of light brown sugar. The result: a distinct brown buttery taste and oh-so-tender texture. I could eat ten of them in the blink of an eye.

The two perfected their recipe with lots of pre-bake taste tests (women after my own heart) and submitted their hard work to our Best Chewy Sugar Cookie contest.

“We always sample the dough as we go, adding a little more sugar or vanilla (or something else), if needed,” WinnieAb writes. “Because if the dough doesn't taste good, the cookies certainly won't.”

And for those who still love the slice-and-bake designs, WinneAb picked up a tip from Merrill’s mom to gussy up her cookies. Just roll the dough into little balls, then flatten them with the bottom of a patterned glass. Voilà! The prettiest, sweetest sugar cookies you’ve ever baked.

Chewiest Sugar Cookies

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Ingredients

1	cup unsalted butter, softened
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1/2	cup white sugar
2	egg yolks
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon fine sea salt

1	cup unsalted butter, softened
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1/2	cup white sugar
2	egg yolks

2	teaspoons vanilla extract
3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon fine sea salt

What's your favorite type of cookie? Tell us in the comments below!