Brown Sugar Roll-Out Cookies {Recipe}
I have always wanted to host one of those holiday cookie swap parties, but when Christmas comes around it always seems like there is never enough time for me to get something organized. So, this year when my friend Julie told me about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap I was very excited to sign up.
I received three names and sent one dozen cookies to each person. In return, I received three different boxes of cookies myself. Not only was it fun to get cookies, I also REALLY enjoyed making three different sets of cookies to send out.
This was my favorite set…
One of the rules of the swap was that I use and publish a new recipe with my post, so I thought it was the perfect time to drag out my brown sugar roll-out recipe. The nice thing about these cookies is that you can make minor adjustments and completely change the cookie. In this case I added a little orange flavoring and spice. I call it “almost” gingerbread because it has a hint of gingerbread flavor but it’s still not quite gingerbread.
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. milk, half and half, or orange juice
- 2 tsp. extract or emulsion {I used orange and vanilla}
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon {spices optional}
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- dash ground cloves
Instructions
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, extract, and orange juice. Mix until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients a cupful or so at a time until all of the dry mixture is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, add flour little by little until it isn’t.
- Divide dough into three parts, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes. Dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes until tops are not shiny.
For all of you weigh your ingredients…cross my heart I did this for you. The problem is, I wrote the numbers on a tiny scrap of paper which of course got lost. I even went as far into doing the dreaded trash can dig without any luck, but I will be making these again very soon, and I will redo the measurements as soon as possible.
If you aren’t a gingerbread lover leave out the spice, or use cinnamon only. This is a very adaptable recipe and produces a rich, tasty cookie perfect for decorating or eating alone.
I hope everyone enjoyed their cookies as much as I enjoyed decorating them and I would also like to thank the lovely ladies that sent cookies to me last week. It was a treat for the whole family.
Hopefully next year I can organize a real live cookie swap. But until then, this is the next best thing! I hope everyone has a wonderful week full of the Christmas spirit.
Only twelve more days until Christmas! Are you ready?!
that is awesome! i would love the brown sugar biscuits.
They’re so cute!!
Have a great week
The cookies look wonderful…..but that is no surprise, since all of your cookies look great….! I do have one question, when you say, ?2 tsp. extract or emulsion {I used orange and vanilla}
do you use 1 tsp of each, or just 2 tsp of one of them…? Thanks for letting me know…
Mary
I absolutely love these and I’ll be attempting a pine cone today so wish me luck.
oh my is it really only 12 days? No that you said that I’m going to go into a panic mode.
Merry Christmas Callye.?
These are beautiful, of course! I especially like the basketweave “Merry Christmas” cookie – great effect! And thanks for the new recipe, I need a brown sugar version and was getting ready to start searching for one!
I love them and thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I will try it this week, when I start making my holiday cookies 🙂
Oh, my goodness! Those are incredibly gorgeous! And they sound yummy! I think I need to try this recipe. Christmas day will be a good time, I think. I happen to know there are some cookie cutters under the tree with my name on them… 🙂 I hope to someday be able to get cookies to look like yours… I think I’d better go practice, huh? They really are so gorgeous. I truly admire your talent. Merry Christmas!
This is a very cute set! hope I will see more during the holidays ;0)( which I am sure I will) I am going to try this recipe also, yummmy!!
Have a very Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Lynn
Your cookies continue to amaze me! GORGEOUS,
Wow! The detail in the weave pattern and the pinecone is unbelievable. You are so talented! I love seeing what you come up with. Thanks for sharing!
Christmas is when I try out tons of new cookie recipes so I am very excited to try these out, I’m not kidding, the butter and eggs are already sitting out on the counter 🙂 I am (planning) on making the poinsettias, we will see what happens. What tip did you use for the flower petals. I was thinking just a large leaf tip. But I can’t find one in my box that looks big enough, lol and I thought I had every single tip out there!
I used a #67
Love the brown sugar recipe! They are so pretty too!
The cookies are gorgeous, love the branches and berries. I can’t wait to try this recipe, I’m in LOVE with brown sugar.
They are just as good minus all of the spice…although personally I kick up the salt a little =)
I love the poinsettia, what cookie cutter you use? Can you make a tutorial for this pretty flower?
Happy Holidays!
Its is a snow flake. I have a tutorial planned for later this week =)
Beautiful cookies!!!
Truly beautiful cookies! The recipe sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it. My decorating will be a bit less spectacular though. I’m making mittens only.
ohhh another cookie recipe to add to my collection
Can’t wait to make this Brown Sugar recipe and try the beautiful examples
Those are too pretty to eat!! Love the new cookie recipe too.
That pinecone has stolen my heart!!
How much red coloring do you add (to about a cup of icing) to get that lovely red color? I can never get mine intense enough and it ends up kind of red/orange.
It takes a bit of coloring AND waiting time. I make it two days ahead and then let it rest. It’s a combo of tulip red, chocolate brown and black. The waiting times makes all of the difference!
Absolutely stunning!!!
I am confused and excited about that basket weave cookie. I can’t stop staring at it, it’s FABULOUS and PERFECT. Love the colors of this whole set. Thanks for sharing! ~Amanda
I just love the colors you chose for these, they are just stunning!!
I’ve made brown sugar roll out cookies several times now but I have never used this particular recipe. Mine is very different and I wonder how different they taste. I think I may be adding this to the Christmas cookie list this year.
Tell me about yours…I have another I like better but they spread too darn much!!!!
Your colors are such a refreshing and cozy change! Awesome, spendid, magnificent, beautiful!
Those are gorgeous and I love brown sugar cookies. I might have to bust these out to add to the Christmas cookie platter!
Is your recipe way different than this one Karen? I have used three and this one is my second fave. The ultimate one spreads more than I like …
I love the basket weave cookie!! Delicious!
They sound wonderful!
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OMG, such gorgeous cookies!! Every year your Christmas cookies are better than the previous year. I love your art work 😀
These are absolutely beautiful! Love the “au natural” look and feel.
Beautiful! There was a special on the cooking channel just last week – Cookies & Cocktails. Instead of a traditional cookie swap, they threw a cocktail party. Everyone brought cookies and cocktails (or mocktails in some cases) were created to go with each cookie and then they all voted for their favorite cookie. I really liked this twist on the cookie swap and am thinking about “borrowing” it – but like you, it’ll have to wait for next year now…
Just gorgeous. Beautiful job.
My sister and I are baking cookies and attempting our first decorating today. I just logged on and showed her your plate of cookies today! We are both in awe! Did you decorate all of these with royal icing? The poinsettia looks almost like a butter icing. We’re just wondering??
I saw you on Martha Stewart today and I realized it was you when they showed your Day of the Dead Skull cookies that I remember seeing months back (and added to my faves on google). Your designs are stunning!
Beautiful! My old high school English teacher was asking around for places where she could learn how to decorate cookies (she and I are FB friends), and I immediately linked her here! Your tutorials are awesome–completely free, step-by-step, easy to understand, absolutely GORGEOUS, and also really delicious!
Please pass this along to ANYONE who may have knowledge of where to find OLD cookie cutters. My set was lost in a move 40 years ago. I used them with my children when they were little and I would give a lot to find another set. They were red and there was approx. 4-6 different cutters in the set. They may have been Wilton, but not sure. They were Christmas themed and came with the recipe for the cookie. This cookie did not rise much when baked because the cutters were NOT the kind that just cut the shape. These cutters had great details (santas face, for example) which was clearly seen even after the cookie was baked. Then the fun began of decorating the cookies. We used white icing sprinkled with coconut for Santas beard and pieces of raisins for his eyes. Red food coloring was painted on his lips. You get the idea….I am nearing 70 now and have searched everywhere I know to find these cookie cutters without any luck. My desire is to spend time with my grandchildren decorating cookies…just as I did with my children. I would so appreciate any ideas from anyone as to where I might find a set of these old cutters. thank you….
Saw you on Martha today! Great job to all the ladies! You all were so calm and cool.
Thanks for all the inspiration!
I love brown sugar cookies. I am in awe of your beautiful decorations too. Absolutely stunning!
Will you invite me to your real life cookie swap next year? 🙂 These, as usual, are absolutely gorgeous! I’m running out of adjectives for your cookies! lol!
What can I say….just brilliant!
I’m once again in awe of your talent and I think what makes you so special is the fact that you’re willing to pass on all your knowledge in such a detailed, step by step way that is just inspirational.
Thank you ;D
These are incredible. I read on a previous post or video of yours to not use any flavoring with oil. I bought some Watkins almond flavoring and then saw that there is some oil in it. Should I not use this in the frosting and if not, what brand do you recommend to use to flavor the frosting?
Thank you!!
How much is in there?
I use Watkins almond all the time with no problem.
These are so beautiful, Callye !
Hey Callye! Love your cookies and they sound so yummy! So glad you participated in the cookie swap. I had a ton of fun organizing it with Lindsay. 🙂
created a brown sugar spice dough using my shortbread/sugar cookie dough recipe for my thanksgiving cookies. Amazing flavor!
That pinecone one and the tree bark one…..wow! And I love that these are gingerbready cookies too.
You are such an amazing talent! Happy Holidays!
I had to pin it. They are are un..believable! Your talent amazes me.
Your cookies are amazing! I just came across your blog and I’m loving it already. Looking at all your creations really makes me feel happy 😀
Callye these are just stunning. Lucky the recipient to receive these. I am really loving the pine cone cookie…so beautiful. I also love the look of the brown sugar roll-outs and I’m going to try your recipe sometime.
just love the pointsettia and the pine cone!! and i always like evergreen trees that are covered in snow!!
I can´t take my eyes off your wonderful cookies!
You are a real sweets-artist!! 🙂
Wish you wonderful holidays,
Britta
Yay I am so glad that the cookies you sent me were fun for you to make! 😉 I gave you and the two other girls who sent me cookies a little shout out on my post!
http://theculturaldish.blogspot.com/2011/12/fb-cookie-swap-raspberry-ribbons.html
I know I always say this, but these are my favorite of all time! At least until the next ones! 🙂
These sound delicious! I am a bit of a brown sugar junkie! I bet I would love these…and of course, they are gorgeous as always!
Not only does this recipe sound divine, but your decorating is just gorgeous. I LOVE the woven sign and the wreath. Beautiful work!
I see why you are a “Cookie Queen”, a well deserved title. Thank you for sharing your beautiful cookies.
CALLYE!!!!!!!!!!……….those are just gorgeous!!! I honestly don’t think I could eat them, I would cry to see them eaten! just beautiful!
Amazeballs!!!! How long did these take to decorate?
I found your blog via the Wilton’s Royal Icing recipe’s comments on their site! Thanks so much for this Brown Sugar Cookie recipe, I can’t wait to try it. Off to look around your blog and learn more about cookie decorating as I’m about to do my very first batch with royal icing this week!
I was just looking at these cookies with my 7 year old daughter and she said “Wow, that person’s talented!” We both LOVE the basket weave cookie.
These cookies are a work of art…..
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve vaguely imagined a roll-out cookie involving brown sugar but only got that far. Can’t wait to try them. And no, I’m not ready for Christmas. Soon, soon…
These are super yummy if you have not tried them yet!!! I accidentally used regular brown sugar instead of dark and they are still good!!!! U must try them!
These. Are, beautiful. Must try this recipe. I just wanted to drop you a note that I finally made royal icing that doesn’t completely suck! Thank you for your guidance. I used my iPad with your blog pulled up and followed step by step! Ok, so I have a question… About storing and letting dry. I don’t know where to put them. Cover them in a Tupperware? Let them air dry? I have a kitty who likes to crawl on counters… Thoughts?? Tweet me @DrBrookie
Love these! 🙂
I participated in this swap too (and got my post in tonight – just 20 minutes before the deadline & the link form closed, *whew!*). I didn’t make sugar cookies this time, but I did try a new recipe. I also *LOVED* the cookies that we received over the last two weeks – so fun!
Your cookies are absolutely beautiful! I made a batch last night and they taste great. I’m not crazy about orange flavoring so I just used vanilla extract and cinnamon spice. Can’t wait to ice them. How do you get those muted colors? They’re so pretty!
Hi, I’m not crazy about orange flavoring either but it completely goes together with the spices! These were sooo good!
these cookies are absolutely GORGEOUS! i can only hope that mine taste half as good as yours look!! 🙂
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YOUR COOKIES ARE LOVELY …. GLAD i FOUND YOUR SITE …. THANKS.
OMG!! These cookies are absolutely delicious!! I just tried them and they are my new favorite cookie anytime of the year! It is like Christmas in a cookie!! We will definitely be leaving these out for “Santa”!
These cookies are so beautiful. I’m always inspired by your creations. By the way I saw you on Martha!!!!
Even I prepAred something like this but mine was eggless,…cookies .look perfect
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Hi!
I am finally breaking my silent stalking of your blog. I have to let you know how much I love these cookies. I made a few changes to the amounts and types of spices and flour but loved the original too (I always make an the original recipe before I go messing with it). If you would like to see how you have inspired me head over to my new blog, I mentioned your blog in my most recent post. http://bakedbydeese.blogspot.com/2012/01/christmas-cookies-redux.html
Thanks for providing us with such a great blog for both recipes, techniques, and inspiration!
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Your cookies for the swap were so unbelievably beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!
And I bet they tasted fantastic. I have just signed up to get the email blast about 2012,
and I can say that if I got your set, I would feel amazed!
Cookie hugs,
Patti
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Oh boy – that platter of cookies is outstanding! Love the colors. Also love that it’s a little different take on Christmas cookies…not the usual snowflakes, mittens, snowman, etc. I could see walking into a cozy little bakery up in New England somewhere, ordering a cup of hot chocolate and sitting down with a few of these!
How did you decorate the cookies? They are beautiful…
Thank you in advance! 🙂
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These cookies are BEAUTIFUL!!! I have what might be a silly question, but I’m dying to try this recipe and don’t know what “extract or emulsion” is.
These cookies are amazing. I made them yesterday and they are deeeeelicious! Love the orange juice in the cookies instead of milk. Really has a nice fall-ish flavor!
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Ansa
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m hoping to decorate them like your Pumpkin Pie slice cookies! Love your page!
May I ask how you got that beautiful red color? It’s so rich and deep and wonderfully warm. Thanks.
I was wondering if the dough or the baked cookies could be frozen, if so what would be the best way to do so?
Thanks for all your wonderful shares,
Kelly
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Made these cookies tonight and they taste awesome. What a great recipe. Can’t say that my icing designs will turn out as good as yours, but at least they will taste good! 🙂
WOW!!! Those are THE most beautiful cookies I have ever seen!! I cannot wait to try this recipe as well as your other sugar cookie recipe. Thanks for posting!
I am trying to use the recipe in here but every 5 minutes the website close and opens the Appstore trying to install one of those craby FREE games that seem to be malware, I just found this blog so useful, but I recommend you check with your webdesigner and the ads you are using.
Sorry about that. Sometimes the ads have code in them that do that 🙁 Hopefully it’s fixed soon.
I am not sure if you mean milk and half and half, or milk and orange juice or half and half and oj or something else.
Do you have a good icing recipe for these cookies? 🙂
It’s under the recipes tab =)
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Hello Callye, I tried your recipe with some adjustment following my taste and the cookies were wonderful. This is the post of my blog, obviously I mentioned that the recipe was yours. Thank you and have a nice Christmas! http://profumodizucchero.blogspot.it/2014/12/biscotti-al-brown-sugar.html
Thanks! I need a faux-gingerbread cutout recipe, and I was not excited about just tinting my usual recipe with brown coloring…. Making/decorating cookies for a crowd and not everyone loves gingerbread, you know 🙂 THANKS!
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