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Three rows of cookies baked with baking soda, baking powder and both, showing different spread and color

Brown Sugar Christmas Cookies (Three-Way Test Batch)

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base dough
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or half whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Leaveners (one per bowl)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda bowl 1
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder bowl 2
  • 1/8 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder bowl 3

Equipment

  • 3 small bowls
  • Baking tray
  • Parchment paper

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a tray with parchment.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
  3. Mix in the flour, salt and cinnamon until a soft dough forms.
  4. Divide the dough evenly between three bowls. Mix the baking soda into bowl 1, the baking powder into bowl 2 and the mix of both into bowl 3.
  5. Roll each bowl into 6 equal balls and arrange them in three labeled rows on the tray, well spaced.
  6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until set at the edges. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then compare before anyone eats them.

Notes

Weigh the dough balls if you can, so all three tests are fair. The baking-soda-and-powder version is the one to make again for the cookie tin.