Organized....or Not!

Do you ever need help keeping things organized? I do...yet, I don't use that help as I should. Maybe a little organizer before the new year would help. If you need help, stop by Sarah's site and check out her latest give-away. It's a lovely orange planner all set and ready for 2010 to come.

One way I keep my recipes organized is to bookmark recipes that I think look good. Sometimes I randomly browse these recipes in search of a good new treat to try. Last month, I found a recipe that I had bookmarked for a LONG time (maybe my organizational method doesn't work so well!). It was some brown sugar cookies from Jane. One reason I wanted to try these cookies is that they are simply a sugar cookie, just made with brown sugar...a little different take. Another reason....brown butter! Mmmmm! These cookies did NOT disappoint. They reminded me a bit of molasses cookies (which I don't think I've posted on here yet...will do!), which makes sense seeing as brown sugar is simply granulated sugar made moist by adding molasses. The cookies were simple to make and temptingly delicious. I highly recommend them.

Brown Sugar Cookies modified from Just Jane
11 tablespoons unsalted butter (I decreased the browned butter to 8 tablespoons and then had three waiting to be used...so used that instead of 4)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat 8 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 3 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside. Mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar together for rolling the dough in later.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Rolling dough into walnut sized balls, about 1- 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone) 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do NOT overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes...but not too long or they'll be hard to get off the pan; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.