Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe

This is a versatile Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe that also has some granulated sugars. Not only will you get a chewy, moist cookie, but it works well as a base for adding other ingredients.

Chocolate chips, coconut, peanut butter, raisins and oatmeal, nuts - plus combinations of any of these - can be worked in with just minor adjustments to the core ingredients.

This could come in handy around holiday times when you might be making cookies for gift baskets. Instead of 6 different recipes, use just this one and save yourself from going cookie crazy!

Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe

3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with both the brown and granulated sugars. Add the eggs, 1 by 1, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Whisk together the flour with the baking soda and kosher salt.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat until the ingredients are just combined.

Flour a work surface and transfer the dough. Work the dough into a ball, then cut it in half. Roll each half into a log, about 2 inches diameter by 8 inches long. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Note: At this point, the dough can be frozen up to 3 months, tightly wrapped to keep out any moisture.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. If it has been frozen, it's not necessary to thaw it out.

Cut 1/4-inch slices from each log and lay the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Space them at least 2 inches apart.

Bake in the hot oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before storing.

Food For Thought - Proportions for variations are listed below. Why not make several of your favorite type and keep them frozen? This would be so handy for when you suddenly need a dessert or something to bring for an office party. Just preheat the oven, slice the cookies and bake. What could be easier!

Chocolate Chip - Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the flour.

Chocolate Chip Walnut - Add 1 cup chopped walnuts with the chocolate chips to the flour.

Oatmeal - Reduce the four to 2 3/4 cups. Add 1 cup quick oats to the flour.

Oatmeal Coconut - Add 1 cup flaked coconut to the flour with the oatmeal.

Peanut Butter - Add 1 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter with the softened butter.

Chocolate Raisin - Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder with the flour. Add 1 cup raisins at the end of the recipe, after all the other ingredients have been combined.

Good To Know - The dough can also be rolled into 1-inch balls and frozen. This way you only need to take out as many as you want to make - a good idea when there's a chance the family will eat all the cookies in sight at once!

You Might Need:

• Kitchen Supply Aluminum Half Size Sheet Pan 18-inch by 13-inch

• Calphalon 12-by-17-Inch Rectangular Nonstick Cooling Rack

• Silpat 11-5/8-by-16-1/2-Inch Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat

• Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop