Salty Brown Butter Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then I bet you really, really like me right now. I like you, too. It is not without reason that I have had nothing to show for the couple of weeks it has been since we last spoke. I must inform you with a frown that this was in part due to a lack of inspiration (I am well aware that the past two recipes I’ve shared with you have contained white chocolate, and you’re welcome). There was also food poisoning…that was a big factor.

Just as flowers stem from mud, though, so I have encountered some positives from this experience. I will skip to the end on this, since chocolate and sugar tend to outshine everything, and simply proclaim that this is my new favorite cookie recipe. I learned a long time ago from Alton Brown that there is a method to chewy cookies: melted butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, chilled dough. So I tried a couple of these things, but as per usual, I got carried away in the process. If I am going to melt the butter, why shouldn’t I brown it? If brown sugar is the way to go, why not go darker? And then all hope was lost. I figured I should add both types of chocolate chips, white and semisweet. And THEN, after removing the dough from the fridge and slicing it into aromatic, brown-buttery rounds, I sprinkled each with some Maldon salt.

In short, this cookie recipe is all of my favorite things-brown butter, brown sugar, chocolate, sea salt-at once. They are admittedly rich, and I’d venture to say that one at a time is enough. But, like their maker (moi), they don’t apologize for being exactly who they are. Friends, I believe I have met my match; I should’ve known it would be something chocolaty.

One Year: Marbled Banana Walnut Loaf

Salty Brown Butter Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 1 dozen cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned and set aside to cool*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup medium-dark brown sugar**
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Maldon salt (or other coarse sea salt), for sprinkling

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together brown butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional minute until fluffy. Stir in the dry ingredients, followed by the white and dark chocolate chips, until just combined. Roll the dough out into a 12-14 inch thick log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (this will give the cookie a chewy consistency). Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the dough log into 1/2 inch thick rounds and divide between two baking sheets, making sure to give adequate space between each cookie (I do about 2 cookies per baking sheet, but you might be able to fit more!). Bake for 10 minutes total (or until golden brown and soft in the center), rotating the baking sheets halfway through for even baking. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack immediately. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

*To brown the butter, melt on medium-low heat. Continue heating once the butter has completely melted. The butter will begin to foam and pop, then slowly turn brown-ish in color. Keep an eye on it–you don’t want it to burn! Make sure to scrape the pan of the browned bits at the bottom, as this is that delicious flavor you want!
**Do not use light brown sugar. I used a darker (but not super dark) brown sugar. The reasoning? Brown sugar is molasses and granulated sugar, and the molasses is what gives moisture and chewiness to a cookie recipe. If you use light brown sugar, this means there is less molasses. Do as you will, though. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.