Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I taught full-time I’d take a break during my prep to peruse a number of beautifully written food blogs. I’d thoughtfully read them, develop girl crushes on the authors, and make their recipes frequently. Now that there’s a bit less down time and I have a site of my own, only one blog comes to my attention and it’s because I subscribed so I get her emails. It’s Joy the Baker! She posted a recipe for “the best browned butter” chocolate chip cookies and I thought I’d give her exact recipe a go. VERY buttery and a bit more work than my favorite chocolate chips (you had to cream butter and sugar as well as chill the dough for a few hours), during the first 24 hours out of the oven I thought I’d struck cookie gold – they were absolutely incredible. The flavor was just spot on delicious. As the days passed, however, the consistency of the cookies left me wanting. I love the chewiness of my favorite recipe and these were sorely lacking that chew. Instead of a simple repost of Joy’s recipe, I combined the best parts of her fave recipe with my fave recipe, which is just slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. This hybrid is as quick to make as the ATK recipe and perfectly chewy, but the flavor is just a notch above, thanks to the browned butter, molasses, and increased salt. Score. Make. Now.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1 c. light brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. molasses

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 c. + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips (ideally bittersweet Ghirardelli)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpats.

2. Place 8 tbsp. of butter in a small saucepan or skillet and heat over medium heat until melted. Increase heat slightly and let butter simmer and bubble until it turns golden brown and smells caramel-y. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl. Be sure to scrape the congealed brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Be careful to not let the butter burn (turn black). 

3. Microwave remaining 4 tbsp. butter in a glass mixing bowl until melted, about 30 seconds.

4. Add brown sugar and white sugar to bowl, along with browned butter. Whisk to combine.

5. Add molasses and vanilla and stir to combine. Add egg and egg yolk and stir to combine.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt, Add to butter mixture and fold to combine.

7. When almost combined, add chips. Fold to combine.

8. Lightly scoop out dough in two tbsp. amounts, placing 9 on each cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until no longer wet-looking. Remove from oven and let cool at least five minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

Store in airtight container at room temperature for several days