Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

As much as I love eating cookies, I’m not the best at baking them. I have a folder of photos on my computer of recipes that just weren’t worth sharing with you, and a decent portion of those show sad looking cookies. For some reason, my cookies never spread like they’re supposed to, regardless of the recipe I follow. To remedy this chronic shortcoming, I took a cooking class on the science behind making cookies, and I learned a whole lot. Although I have not yet applied my newfound knowledge to the cookie recipes that have eluded me in the past, I did come away with an excellent recipe for chocolate chip cookies. We experimented with a bunch of different variations, but working in some browned butter improved the standard chocolate chip cookie for me.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some of the chocolate chip cookies we experimented with in class, starting at the top left and going clockwise were: classic, all white sugar, all brown sugar, 20% more flour, all egg yolk, and double egg. As you might guess from the picture, some of these were tastier than others.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make my ideal cookie, begin by browning 1 stick of butter. Add the butter to a small pot or pan over medium heat, and let the butter melt. The butter will begin bubbling, and you will see the white milk solids in the butter rise to the top. Then, the milk solids will fall to the bottom of the pan and begin to brown. You will usually first notice the browning around the edges of the pan, and as soon as you do, remove the pan from the heat, and swirl it. The remaining milk solids will brown rapidly. Set the butter aside to cool slightly.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

While the butter cools, weigh out 2.75 ounces (78 grams) of white sugar and 2.75 ounces of dark brown sugar. Add the sugars to a mixing bowl. Preheat your oven (to 350° F in a convection oven or 375º F in a non-convection oven). 

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pour the butter and all of its brown bits (it should be cool enough that it doesn’t melt the sugar) into the bowl and beat it together with the sugar very well. Once the butter and sugar are evenly combined, crack in 1 egg, and pour in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients until they are completely combined, scraping down the bowl if necessary.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a separate bowl, weigh out 5.08 ounces (144 grams) of flour. Into the flour, stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. In two additions, stir the flour into the butter and sugar mixture. Once it is combined, stir in 5 ounces (142 grams) of chocolate chips. The cookie dough should be scoopable, so if it is too loose, put it into the fridge for 10 minutes or so to firm up.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and use a 2 tablespoon scoop to scoop out the cookies. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart to allow them room to spread. I got 19 cookies out of this batch.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes, rotating the pan around half-way through, until they are golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool before eating them. These are crisp around the edges and slightly chewy in the center.

The browned butter flavor is detectable but not overpowering, especially when compared to a cookie made with normal butter. It just has a little something extra. I love how flat these cookies get, quite different from the mound-like cookies I normally end up with. Such a success in my book!

Shopping list:

  • Butter- 1 stick
  • White sugar- 2.75 ounces
  • Dark brown sugar- 2.75 ounces
  • Egg- 1
  • Vanilla extract- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Flour- 5.08 ounces (144 grams)
  • Baking soda- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Chocolate chips- 5 ounces
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Comments

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies — 4 Comments

  1. These look great. I will try these as I always like a good chocolate chip cookie! I have wondered about browning butter and your explanation and photos are very helpful.

    Have you tried doing what the New York Times article on chocolate chip cookies mentioned: “aging” the in the refrigerator for up to 3 days? The article said it made a real difference. Something about the flour tasting better. I did make a big batch of those cookies once and I cooked them over 3 days. They seemed to cook up better over the aging period, but I couldn’t really say they tasted different. They looked great though!

    • My class actually discussed letting dough rest in the refrigerator before baking. The instructor said it allows gluten to develop, which I assume helps the cookie hold its shape better during baking. That could be why yours looked nice!

  2. Pingback: Harvest Cookie | Witty in the City

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