Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Indulge in the exquisite delight of our world-renowned brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Crafted with the finest dark brown sugar, two varieties of decadent chocolate chips, and a delicate touch of sea salt, these cookies are truly unparalleled.
Experience the perfect harmony of crispy exteriors and chewy centers – a symphony of flavor that promises to elevate your cookie expectations to new heights. Prepare to savor what can only be described as the ultimate cookie indulgence.
The star of the recipe? Brown butter, without a doubt! If you've never experienced the magic of browned butter, you're in for a treat. It's simple to make and adds an incredible depth of flavor to anything it touches.
Ingredients
- Flour: Stick with trusty all-purpose flour for the perfect cookie texture. I highly advise against substituting with other flours.
- Brown butter: The secret weapon that lends these cookies their distinctive character. With its nutty, sweet, and toasty notes, brown butter adds a delightful caramel hazelnut flavor.
- Sugar: Rather than an even mix of white and brown sugar, this recipe leans heavily on brown sugar for its soft and chewy center, while still yielding crispy edges. Opt for dark brown sugar for a richer taste, though light brown sugar works as well.
- Egg + egg yolk: Incorporating one whole egg plus additional yolk results in a rich, luxurious texture that's key to achieving the perfect consistency.
- Greek yogurt: Surprisingly, a small amount of yogurt activates the baking soda, resulting in moist dough and beautifully crinkled tops. If Greek yogurt isn't on hand, sour cream makes a suitable substitute.
- Chocolate chips: Elevating the flavor profile are two varieties of chocolate chips—milk chocolate and semi-sweet. This dual-chip approach enhances the complexity of flavors. Feel free to customize with dark chocolate if preferred.
- Baking staples: Don't overlook the essentials—baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. For an extra touch of sophistication, sprinkle the cookies with premium sea salt post-bake.
Secrets tips to crafting flawless brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Avoid substitutions: For consistently perfect results, refrain from substituting ingredients unless alternative options are provided. Deviating from the recipe may alter the outcome of your cookies.
- Ensure room temperature ingredients: Once you've browned your butter, allow it to cool sufficiently before incorporating it into your dough. Aim for a temperature that's comfortable to touch. Additionally, ensure your eggs are at room temperature to prevent them from solidifying when mixed with the butter. Quick tip: Warm your eggs by placing them under running warm water or soaking them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Master the art of flour measurement: Accurately measuring flour is key to achieving the perfect cookie consistency. Learn the best techniques for measuring flour without a scale with my helpful tips and tricks, available in this video.
- Embrace the chill: While it may require a bit of patience, chilling the dough is essential for optimal results. This crucial step allows the flavors to meld, resulting in cookies with a rich caramel flavor, crispy edges, chewy centers, and delightful crackly tops. The solidified fat in the butter and the absorption of sugar contribute to this transformative process. Trust me, it's a game-changer for your cookie game.
How to freeze cookie dough
Mastering the art of freezing cookie dough opens up a world of convenience, allowing you to effortlessly prepare for gatherings or spontaneous baking cravings. Here's a simple guide to How to freeze cookie dough:
- Chill and roll: After allowing the dough to chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, roll it into uniform balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Let them chill in the freezer for another 30 minutes to undergo a quick freeze process.
- Store with care: Once the cookie dough balls have firmed up, transfer them into a reusable freezer-safe bag or container. Properly stored, your cookie dough can stay fresh for up to 3 months, ready to be baked at a moment's notice.
- Bake to perfection: When the craving strikes, bake the cookies according to the recipe instructions. You may need to extend the baking time slightly, but soon enough, you'll be enjoying freshly baked cookies without the hassle of a full baking session.
Preserve Your Baked Delights for Later Enjoyment
Once your freshly baked cookies have cooled completely, prepare them for freezing by transferring them into a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. To prevent breakage, arrange the cookies in a single layer.
Stored properly, your cookies will maintain their quality for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you're ready to indulge, simply allow them to thaw at room temperature and savor the deliciousness once again.
Indulge in the exquisite delight of our world-renowned brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Crafted with the finest dark brown sugar, two varieties of decadent chocolate chips, and a delicate touch of sea salt, these cookies are truly unparalleled.
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1.5 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 0.25 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 extra egg yolk (both at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
- 0.75 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 0.75 cups cup milk chocolate chips
Begin by browning your butter: melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. As it heats up, you'll hear it crackle and eventually foam. Keep whisking throughout this process. After a few minutes, the butter will start to brown, developing a lovely golden amber hue at the bottom of the saucepan. Once you detect a nutty aroma, remove it from heat immediately to prevent burning. Transfer the browned butter to a medium bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes or until it's safe to handle.
Using an electric mixer, blend the brown butter with sugars until thoroughly combined, approximately 1 minute. Then, add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and yogurt, mixing until fully incorporated.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating on low speed just until everything is combined. Fold in both varieties of chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Next, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or ideally up to 12-24 hours. Patience is key here; resist the urge to rush this step as the chilling process is crucial for perfect cookies.
Helpful tip: To streamline the baking process, consider rolling the dough into balls before chilling. This way, you can simply place them on the baking sheet when ready to bake. I typically refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes, then roll it into balls and return them to the fridge for another hour or two.
Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If the dough is too hard, allow it to thaw for about 20 minutes before measuring. Scoop 2 heaping tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop, placing the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. The cookies will spread as they bake.
Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. They may appear slightly underdone in the middle, but they will continue to set once removed from the oven.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before sprinkling each with sea salt. Transfer the cooled cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This recipe yields 24-36 cookies, depending on size.