Go To Brown Sugar Cookies

Slice-and-bake cookie dough is the smartest thing a home baker can keep in the freezer. Mix the dough once, shape it into logs, wrap them tight in plastic, and stash them. Anytime you want fresh-baked cookies, slice off as many rounds as you need and bake them straight from frozen. No mixer, no cleanup, just warm cookies in 10 minutes.

The dough leans equally on shortening and butter, which is a deliberate choice. Shortening gives you the soft, tender texture without spreading too much. Butter adds the flavor that shortening can’t provide. Together they balance each other and give you a cookie that’s both shaped (the slice stays a slice) and good-tasting (not waxy).

The brown sugar is the star. A full cup of packed brown sugar contributes the molasses note that turns a basic sugar cookie into something with depth. The slight chewiness in these comes from the molasses too.

Shape the logs carefully. Compact the dough into a ball first, then roll it gently on a floured surface. Tight logs slice into round cookies. Loose, air-pocket-filled logs slice into deformed ovals.

Pro Tips

• Twist the plastic wrap ends tightly. That compression keeps the log round so it slices cleanly later.
• Use a sharp knife and slice with a clean down-press, not a sawing motion. Sawing crumbles the log.
• Rotate the log a quarter turn between every few slices to keep the bottom from flattening.
• Frozen dough slices cleanest. Refrigerated dough can be soft enough to deform under the knife.

Variations

• Roll the logs in chopped pecans or walnuts before chilling for nut-edged cookies.
• Stir a teaspoon of cinnamon into the dough for a snickerdoodle leaning.
• Sandwich two cookies around a layer of dulce de leche for an instant alfajor-style treat.