Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nutty brown butter, pools of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Crisp edges, chewy centers.
Published
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 1 hr 32 min
- Serves
- 24
Browning the butter takes five extra minutes and adds a toasty, caramel depth to a classic cookie. Chilling the dough lets the flour hydrate, giving thicker cookies with better texture.
Chopped chocolate bars melt into wide puddles that chips can't match.
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking, swirling often, until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn amber, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a large bowl, including the browned bits, and cool for 15 minutes.
- Whisk both sugars into the butter, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underdone. Sprinkle with flaky salt, cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Notes
Total time includes 1 hour of chilling. Makes about 24 cookies; "servings" here means cookies.
Substitutions
Semisweet chocolate chips can replace the chopped chocolate.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze portioned dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
