One day, when I was still at The Westin, Justin (my co-worker in the pastry department) and I were baking off cookies for a banquet and instead of just the same ole chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies we also included sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies. The cookies we use for banquets are actually outsourced and ready to bake when we receive them (we couldn't possibly keep up with such a large amount of cookies with just a staff of two and Michael, when we had to take care of the restaurant as well).
Anyway, Justin loves sugar cookies and he mentioned how he loved the fact that these sugar cookies were chewy and cakey. He pointed out that the recipes he has, and the recipes Michael has are all hard, traditional sugar cookies--the kind you decorate. We thought "hmmm... great subject for a blog entry."
I starting researching by flipping through books, at home and at the book store but was not successful with that. I starting looking on the internet and that was when I found a recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine published November 2002.
I tried not to get my hopes up too much because I've been known to get excited about a recipe, try it and end up sadly disappointed. But I had a good feeling about these...
And they turned out just fine. They looked good too: rolling them in sugar before baking created a beautiful crackled sugar crust.
My only note is, when they are freshly baked, they are chewier and cakier. As they sit (say, the next day), they tend to dry a bit and get slightly harder. As it is done with Chocolate Chip Cookies, I would suggest underbaking these to make them chewier/cakier. Sometimes even one minute's time can make a difference. So Keep a close eye on them and determine what the right time is for the texture that you desire.
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen
The cookies are softer and more tender when made with unbleached flour that has a protein content of about 10.5 percent. Pillsbury or Gold Medal works best; King Arthur flour has a higher protein content (around 11.7 percent) and will result in slightly drier, cakier cookies. Do not discard the butter wrappers; they have just enough residual butter on them for buttering the bottom of the drinking glass used to flatten the dough balls. To make sure the cookies are flat, choose a glass with a smooth, flat bottom. Rolled into balls, the dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week. The baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), preferably Pillsbury or Gold Medal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still firm (60 to 65 degrees)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces), for rolling dough
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 375 degrees (350 if convection). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, beat butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
3. Place sugar for rolling in shallow bowl. Fill medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Dip hands in water and shake off excess (this will prevent dough from sticking to your hands and ensure that sugar sticks to dough). Roll heaping tablespoon dough into 1 1/2-inch ball between moistened palms; roll ball in sugar, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, moistening hands after forming each ball and spacing balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using butter wrapper, butter bottom of drinking glass; dip bottom of glass in remaining sugar and flatten dough balls with bottom of glass until dough is about 3/4 inch thick.
4. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges and just set and very lightly colored in center, 15 to 18 minutes, reversing position of cookie sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 3 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Note for Justin: These cookies don't have the exact flavor of the cookies we used to bake off. It is due to the fact that these are all-natural, from scratch and don't contain any artificial flavor enhancers or ingredients like the outsourced onces do. But they're still pretty good. :)
