A classic, nostalgic cookie
Now homemade, and even better
Crispy, melt in your mouth perfection
Recipe
-
Prep Time: 15 min
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 large egg yolk, for brushing cookies
- I always recommend chilling cookie dough before baking. In all honesty, if pinched for time, you can absolutely bake after mixing. However, I strongly believe that the best cookies are chilled overnight. This allows flavor development and flour hydration to happen. Its a magical, that dough chilling thing!
- Try not to skip the egg yolk brushing step. These cookies traditionally have that golden color and without the egg yolk, they don’t look as pretty. And honestly, that brushing of the egg yolk actually enhances the flavor!
- Chilling your cut and shaped cookies (again? I know, lots of chilling in this recipe) before baking will allow them to keep their shape and not spread in the oven. If the cookies are at room temperature, then placed in the oven, the butter is likely already warm, and we don’t want that! Chill for at least 20 minutes and your cookies will turn out beautifully!
Bake Time: 10 min
Yields: 15-20 cookies
What you need
Chessman Cookies
What to do
1. Using a stand (or hand) mixer with fitter paddle attachment, mix butter and sugars on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. We want the mix to be pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well.
2. Sift all dry ingredients into a medium size bowl. With the mixer on low, slow add the dry ingredients to the butter mix in the stand mixer. Mix until everything is combined.
3. Dump the cookie mix onto plastic wrap and seal the cookie dough. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr- overnight preferred (*see note!).
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cookie dough from the fridge and let the dough rest at room temp for about 20-30 minutes. The dough needs to be soft enough to roll out and/or molded.
5. Roll cookie dough into about an 11×10 square shape. Cut cookies into desired shapes. Or tear the dough into 15-20 identical balls and mold each one using cookie molds. The classic chessman look calls for some chess cookie molds. I couldn’t find any online, but I am linking the ones I did find here
6. Whisk egg yolk, then brush a thin layer over the cookies. Place cookies back in the fridge to chill for about 20 minute. Bake cookies at 350 for about 10 minutes. You want the cookies to be nice and golden brown. Note: Normally I would say under-bake, but these cookies are better when a little crispy. Plus, if you are using for banana pudding- its fun to almost dry out the cookies and then smother them with the pudding… the pudding makes the cookies chewy and moist again! Cookies can keep at room temp for about 3 days.
Helpful tips
