Step 1

Heat butter in small saucepan, over medium heat, until melted. Continue cooking butter, whisking or swirling the pan as needed, until the melted butter takes on a light golden brown color. There will be small flakes of dark brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Remove butter from heat and transfer to a small bowl immediately. Let cool until the bottom of the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Step 3

In a shallow bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons brown and granulated sugar. I used my fingers, but you could also use two forks. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 4

Add 1 cup brown sugar to bowl with cooled, browned butter and mix until combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined and there are no lumps. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Step 5

Roll about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball using your hands. Then toss the dough in the brown/granulated sugar mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

Step 6

::Edit:: After some readers had some issues with flat cookies, I retested the recipe. I baked them immediately after rolling and they came out great. I also rolled some, put them in the fridge for 15 minutes, and then baked them…and those came out great too. If you are having issues, and you know your ingredients are fresh & your oven is the correct temp, try popping them in the fridge before baking.

Step 7

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The cookies are ready to come out when the edges have just turned a light golden brown. They will appear underdone in the center…but they will be fine after resting!

Step 8

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to enjoy! I found they were the best after 12 hours of resting…if you can wait that long. 🙂