Brown Sugar Cookies with Dulce de Leche
Photo by Nico Schinco
MAKES
24 cookies
TAKES
Prep time: 45 minutes (includes 30 minutes chilling)
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
A caramel-y twist on classic sugar cookies, these cookies are so easy, but look + taste like a million bucks! The brown sugar cookies are lightly crisp on the outside, and softer towards the center. The cooled cookies are finished with a swipe of dulce de leche for a final caramel flourish. I like to cut these in star shapes, and finish them with sprinkles - but they also make a delicious sandwich cookie, with the dulce inside.
INGREDIENTS
226 g / 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
106 g / ½ cup dark brown sugar
56 g / 1 large egg, at room temperature
15 g / 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
330 g / 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
6 g / 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 g / ½ teaspoon baking powder
339 g / 1 ⅓ cups dulce de leche (see Note)
Sprinkles (optional), for finishing
Lattice is Where it’s At…tice:
METHOD
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Form the dough into a 1 inch / 2 ½ cm thick disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to three days).
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch / ½ cm thick. Use a cookie cutter about 2 ½ inch / 5 cm wide to cut out the cookies, then transfer the cookies to four parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C.
5. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the cookies darken slightly around the edges and appear set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
6. Spoon about 10 g / 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche on top of each cookie and spread evenly to frost. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cookies on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap.
NOTES
You can use store bought dulce de leche, which is smooth and easy to spread into a thin layer
Let the cookies sit on a baking sheet for about 12 hours so the dulce de leche dries a little, and loses its stickiness before stacking and packing the cookies for longer term storage. They’ll keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
