I’ve been grumpier than usual for the past two months, since my trusty coffee machine (an 8-year old De’Longhi Magnifica) broke. But I trudge along wearily and while the (painfully indecisive) hubby and I are still trying to figure out which is to be our new coffee machine, I have reverted to my tea-drinking ways.
In my pantry now, is a huge assortment of leaves so I enjoy a different tea for each of my five cups a day (don’t judge, it takes that much caffeine to get me through). Even with the variety, tea on its own can get a little lonely, and I blame the classic British novels for irrevocably etching in my head, the romantic pairing of tea and biscuits. There are few things better than these crisp-on-the-outside and almost fudgey-on-the-inside, lightly spiced brown sugar cookies, to have with your afternoon pick-me-up.
These little babies are so moreish, I devoured a shocking number straight out of the oven, standing over the kitchen sink, despite my noble intentions to stop at a couple. The warmth of the spices, the intense flavour of sugar thick with molasses, and the surprising hit of sea salt come together in the most scrumptious way. I had a Eureka-moment when I plopped peanut butter between two cookies. Yes, it was an over-the-top, indulgent snack that will leave its mark for an eternity on my hips, but I’ll just say that it made me exceedingly happy, and sometimes, that’s all that matters. The hubby also had them with good ol’ vanilla ice-cream, and for a brief moment almost forgot he was drinking instant coffee.
Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Joy the Baker
2 cups flour
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
170g unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground ginger. Cream butter and dark brown sugar for about 3-min, until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Tip in dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30-min.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Drop dough by heaped teaspoonfuls onto non-stick baking trays. Flatten slightly with back of spoon.
Bake for 8 to 10-min until golden around the edges.
Leave to cool completely on rack before storing in airtight container.
About Dawn Chia
Dawn, a lanky food-crazed lady, started out writing for lifestyle magazines, and later spent several years in banking. When not eating, she's cooking, reading about, hankering after, and writing about food. On her first date with her boyfriend (now husband), they dined at four restaurants across Singapore. He's gained 25lbs since, and their culinary escapades continue after welcoming two rotund angels. Dawn's committed to feeding them with the best, and creating lasting food memories and traditions for her family.
