Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the cookies that made a room mom ask me for the recipe at the school bake sale. The secret is browning the butter first, which takes about five extra minutes but transforms a regular chocolate chip cookie into something that tastes like it came from a bakery. Nutty, caramelly, with slightly crispy edges and a soft, chewy center. My kids help me make these, and by 'help' I mean they eat half the chocolate chips before the chips make it into the dough. Still turns out great.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or 3/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use a mix of chips and chopped chocolate for variety)
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the butter: Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a light-colored saucepan (light-colored so you can see the butter change color) over medium heat. The butter will melt, then start to foam and sizzle. Swirl the pan occasionally. After about 5 to 7 minutes, the butter will turn golden and smell nutty and toasty, and you will see brown bits forming at the bottom. That is browned milk solids, and that is where the magic flavor lives. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. Do not skip the cooling step or you will cook your eggs when you add them.

Step 2: While the butter cools, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: Add both sugars to the bowl with the cooled brown butter. Whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Add the vanilla and whisk until the mixture looks smooth and almost glossy.

Step 4: Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 72 hours, the longer the dough chills, the better the flavor develops). This step is important. It firms up the dough so the cookies do not spread too thin, and it gives the flour time to hydrate, which improves the texture.

Step 6: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (a cookie scoop makes this easy) and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle each ball with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt if using. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They will firm up as they cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes and Tips

The flaky sea salt on top is what takes these from great to 'I need another one immediately.' Do not skip it. If you do not have flaky sea salt like Maldon, regular sea salt works in a pinch, just use less. The dough freezes beautifully: scoop balls onto a parchment-lined sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time. I always keep a stash of frozen cookie dough balls for emergencies, which in my house means 'someone needs cookies for school tomorrow and I forgot.' For a truly indulgent version, stuff a caramel candy or a piece of peanut butter cup inside each dough ball before baking.