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Crispy Brown Sugar Refrigerator Cookies
Crisp on the edges and rich with caramel notes, these classic slice-and-bake cookies are a baker's best friend. The simple brown sugar dough gets a warm lift from cinnamon and vanilla, while finely chopped nuts bring a beautiful texture to the finish. Because the dough rests in the fridge, you can slice and bake exactly what you need, whenever a craving hits. It's an old-fashioned technique that guarantees fresh, warm cookies with zero stress.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped nuts
Instructions
- 1Cream the brown sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl until smooth. Blend in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, then fold in the chopped nuts. Don't overmix once the flour is added, or the cookies will become tough.
- 2Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a 10x3-inch rectangle. Wrap it tightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or until firm.
- 3Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the chilled dough rectangle into 1/8-inch slices and arrange them 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Slicing the dough while it's cold ensures the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
- 4Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges turn light brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Make ahead: Store the tightly wrapped dough in the freezer for up to 2 months. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time if slicing and baking straight from the freezer.
- Variation: For a bright citrus twist, add 1 tablespoon of grated lemon or orange zest to the dry ingredients.
- Variation: To make maple cookies, swap the vanilla extract for 2 teaspoons of maple flavoring.
- Variation: For a toasted coconut version, mix 1 cup of toasted coconut into the flour before combining with the wet ingredients.