Crispy or Chewy? Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe for Your Tastes - 24 Mantra Organic

All the negative publicity about sugar and its adverse effects has made its darker cousin – brown sugar – look a lot better. While consuming sugar is generally bad for health, it is okay to have cheat dates in between and relish some cookies and cakes. Cookies and cakes taste better when baked with brown sugar since the molasses in it gives it a slightly nutty flavour. In this article, we’ll look at a tasty brown sugar cookies recipe that will not only satiate your sweet tooth but also keep those hunger pangs away. But before we divulge that famous brown sugar cookies recipe, let’s have a close look at the ingredient itself.

What is Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is crystalline sucrose that is mixed with a small amount of molasses, which is responsible for its colour and rich flavour. It is popularly used in baking cakes and cookies, as well as savouries such as barbeque sauces since it is denser.

How Is Brown Sugar Produced?

Sugar is produced in tropical climates by extracting the juice of sugarcane or sugar beet. Once the sugar juices are extracted from the crop, it is further purified and heated to produce a brown, concentrated syrup called molasses [1]. The crystallized sugar is then centrifuged to get sugar crystals. While white sugar is produced by further processing to remove excess molasses, brown sugar is made by adding some molasses back into it. Even though brown sugar has molasses in it, it is not any better than its white counterpart in terms of nutritional value. Here is the comparison between the two:

How Is Brown Sugar Different From Raw Sugar?

Before you learn the brown sugar cookies recipe, you should know the fundamental difference between brown and raw sugar, which also has a brown colour. Organic raw sugar tends to be lighter and more golden in colour and comprises the residues of molasses even after the refining process. Unlike brown sugar, which is made by adding molasses to white sugar, raw sugar is slightly larger and less moist in texture.

Often raw sugar is interchanged with brown sugar because of its colour. However, if you are looking for brown sugar cookies recipe, then do not replace it with raw sugar since it has a different taste profile. Brown sugar is reserved for baking and making sauces and candies because of its capability to retain moisture, while raw sugar is used as a substitute for white granulated sugar.

Varieties Of Brown Sugar

There are mainly two types of brown sugar, which are differentiated based on the amount of molasses added in it. These two types are:

• Light Brown Sugar: This is the most common type referred to in brown sugar cookies recipe. It contains around 3.5% molasses by weight.
• Dark Brown Sugar: As the name suggests, it is darker in colour due to its molasses content, which is approximately 6.5% by weight.

How To Cook With Brown Sugar

When it comes to brown sugar, the cooking method is no different. However, when you measure it, pack it tightly in the cup or spoon since the extra moisture makes it difficult to get the measurement right. Also, when using weight measurements, 1 cup is equivalent to roughly 220 grams, whereas white sugar is around 200 grams. The difference in weight is because brown sugar is heavier than white sugar.

Brown sugar is mixed with other ingredients in brown sugar cookies recipes and other dishes, including glazes and candies. When preparing glazes or sauces, keep stirring it on low heat to avoid burning it.

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe

Cookies made from brown sugar have a great twist over traditional cookie recipes due to the taste and colour profile of the sweetener. They’re soft and chewy and very easy to make, with a total preparation time of 30 minutes! Follow this famous brown sugar cookies recipe and be in cookie heaven in no time!

Recipe courtesy: Dinner then Dessert

Ingredients

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups flour, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt 10 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat while continuously whisking it until the butter starts turning brown.
• Pour the hot, melted butter into the bowl, add remaining butter to the same bowl, and set aside.
• In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Add the remaining brown sugar and salt to the butter and whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Combine butter mixture with dry ingredients, stirring until it combines into a dough.
• Either roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick and use a cookie cutter or roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies begin to set.

There you have it, the perfect brown sugar cookies. To know if the cookies are done, see if the edges start turning brown. At this point, take it out from the oven and bring it to room temperature.

How Long Will The Cookie Last?

Sugar cookies usually last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze them if you want them to last for several months.

You can also make the cookie day way ahead of the holiday season and freeze it for up to a month. To use this frozen dough, defrost it in the refrigerator before rolling and baking it.

Try 24 Mantra Organic’s Brown Sugar and savour the taste of organic goodness.