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1
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
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2
Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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3
Add the brown sugar, crumbling it with your hands as you add it to get rid of any lumps.
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4
Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
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5
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the butter and sugar are well mixed.
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6
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
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7
Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated.
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8
Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds.
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9
Repeat with the remaining flour.
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10
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
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11
Empty the dough onto a floured surface and gently push it together.
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12
Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flat disk 1 to 2 inches thick.
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13
Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
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14
Once the dough has chilled, it can be rolled and used as directed (see Rolling Dough, page 10), or frozen in sheets (wrapped tightly on a sheet pan or piece of cardboard with plastic wrap) until needed or up to 2 months.
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15
Cut and bake rolled dough as directed.
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16
Molasses is what makes brown sugar brown, but when it is exposed to air, it can lose its moisture and harden the sugar.
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17
To mitigate against this problem, try transferring leftover brown sugar from the box into a resealable plastic freezer bag and then storing the bag inside an airtight container.
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18
If your brown sugar hardens, you can soften it by microwaving it on high for 30 seconds, then crumble it with your hands and use it immediately.
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19
If the sugar is still hard or chunky after microwaving, discard it.
