By FrancescaOfficial
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the base recipe

The 3:2:1 Cookie

The base recipe behind every cookie here: three parts flour, two parts butter, one part sugar, one egg and a splash of vanilla. One part is a quarter cup, and that makes a dozen.

Makes

Ingredients

    Add-ins

    chocolate chipstoasted pecanssea saltdried cherriestoffeeoats

    Ideas to start. Fold in as much as you like.

    Choose your texture

    oven375°F
    bake8–10 min

    Method

    1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line your baking sheets.
    2. Cream the fat and sugar until light.
    3. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
    4. Whisk the flour with the baking powder, then mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
    5. Fold in your add-ins.
    6. Scoop onto the sheets, leaving room to spread, and bake 8–10 minutes until the edges are golden.

    The rules of the kitchen

    1. 3 : 2 : 1. Three parts flour, two parts butter, one part sugar. One part is ¼ cup per dozen.
    2. One egg, always, plus vanilla.
    3. Sugar sets the texture. White for thin and crisp, brown for soft and chewy.
    4. Match the leavener to the dough. Baking soda when the recipe is acidic, baking powder when it isn't.
    5. Then make it yours with every add-in you can dream up.
    questions & answers

    The 3:2:1 cookie ratio: your questions

    What is a 3:2:1 cookie?

    A cookie made from a simple ratio: three parts flour, two parts butter and one part sugar. With one egg, a splash of vanilla and baking powder, it becomes a soft drop cookie you can flavor any way you like.

    How many cookies does the 3:2:1 recipe make?

    One dozen. One part is ¼ cup, so 12 cookies take ¾ cup flour, ½ cup butter and ¼ cup sugar. Use the batch buttons on the recipe card to scale it to two or three dozen.

    Is the 3:2:1 cookie the same as 3-2-1 shortbread?

    They share the same flour, butter and sugar ratio, but shortbread stops there. Adding an egg, vanilla and baking powder turns the dough into a drop cookie that rises a little and takes add-ins like chocolate chips.

    Should I use brown sugar or white sugar in cookies?

    It depends on the texture you want. Brown sugar gives thick, fluffy, soft and chewy cookies. White sugar gives thin cookies with crispy, golden edges. Try both with the texture switch on the recipe card.

    Why does this cookie recipe use baking powder instead of baking soda?

    Baking soda needs an acidic ingredient to work, and this dough doesn't have one. Baking powder brings its own acid, so it lifts the cookies on its own.

    What can I add to 3:2:1 cookies?

    Chocolate chips, toasted pecans, sea salt, dried cherries, toffee or oats are all good places to start. You can also swap in chilled brown butter for a nutty, toffee-like cookie. For finished ideas, try the Peanut Butter Blast cookies or the Hershey's Symphony cookies.

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