Everyone makes a basic sugar cookie at Christmas. Sadly over the last few years it seems every single time I encounter a sugar cookie, it has been made from a Betty Crocker mix… if not just from a Pillsbury slicing cookie roll. Please throw those away. For the love of good food do not pass off those preservative laden things as lovingly homemade cookies. They aren’t. I stopped making my own sugar cookies after my grandmother asked if they came from a box. Since then, I’ve switched to making brown sugar cookies. They pack twice the flavor of your standard sugar cookie. In addition to the flavor these cookies are just as easy as your standard sugar cookie to bake.

Brown Sugar Cookies (about 3 dozen)

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and both light and dark brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well incorporated. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet in two additions. Mix dough until smooth.

Make dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (about Tablespoon drops). Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. These cookies spread and puff a lot so be careful or you will end up with one giant cookie instead of a dozen. Bake for 8-10 minutes rotating once. Allow the cookies to cool for one minute on the sheet before removing to a wire rack. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!