The recipe calls for three types of sugar. Two in the dough: granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Then it calls for rolling the balls of dough in turbinado sugar (also called sugar in the raw) to give them a nice finishing crunch.
The cookies themselves are soft and chewy as advertised. but they definitely spread more than I would have liked. They did, however turn out just like this photo on the Food52 site, (although they looked nothing like this photo which is from the same site, same recipe.) Anyway...
I think next time I would try using butter that's not quite as soft. I used Kerry Gold butter which is a European-style butter that tends to be softer at room temperature than "regular" butter. That should help the cookies not spread quite as much.
I did also add some grated nutmeg to my cookies because I find that nutmeg in recipes makes them taste more buttery, somehow. Just a few passes on the microplane. The taste of the nutmeg wasn't specifically discernible in the baked cookies, but I do think it adds another layer of nice flavor.
I, of course, used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract - which I always do. (I can't remember the last time I actually used extract in anything.)
And lastly, I found that the 1 cup of the turbinado sugar was unnecessary to roll the dough balls in. (I also think just dunking the top of each ball into the sugar is plenty. NO need to actually roll each ball.)
So start with 1/4 cup of the turbinado sugar. It should be more than enough, or if you need to, you can pour a bit more into the dish. But don't waste an entire cup of sugar for no reason!
I hope you enjoy this recipe. I'm not sure it's the best sugar cookie I've ever had, but they were super quick and easy to make, and my husband gave them the thumbs up and snagged one before they had even had time to cool. So I'm calling that a win.
(Scroll down for the printable recipe.)
Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
Makes about 22 cookies.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Grated nutmeg
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone mats.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated and light brown sugar on high speed until light, fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute on high speed.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. (I ran the nutmeg across my microplane maybe 5 or 6 times.)
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium speed until the dough is smooth with no lumps. It will be very sticky.
Pour the turbinado sugar into a shallow bowl. Scoop out the dough into balls using a small cookie scoop (I use a scoop that's 1 1/2" across and holds a scant Tablespoon).
Drop each ball into the sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheet sugar side up, spacing the balls 1 1//2" apart. Don't press the balls down.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes until the edges are just set and the bottoms are light golden. Don't over-bake the cookies or they won't be chewy.
Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a minute or two, then remove them to wire cooling racks to cool. Cookies can be stored in a covered container at room temperature.
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