Upgraded Chocolate Chip Cookies
First, the brown butter. It adds a rich flavor to the actual dough that complements the richness of the chocolate chips. The fact that this recipe uses salted butter specifically also gives a little of that sweet and salty taste.
Then, we have vanilla bean paste. I started swapping my vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste years ago and haven’t looked back. The paste adds a bolder vanilla flavor that peaks through even against the boldness of the chocolate chips.
Up next is texture, which has been made perfectly chewy due to the ratio of all-purpose flour to the more glutinous bread flour.
The final touch is the variety of chocolate chips. This recipe calls for at least three varieties of chocolate and the use of both chocolate chips and large chocolate chunks.
Every person I have made these for has raved about them, so I suggest you get your ingredients and get started!
1 cup + 3 tbsp salted butter (browned and then chilled, see tips)
1 tsp espresso powder
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar (golden sugar is preferred, but white sugar can be used as well)
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2 cups chocolate chips/chunks (see tips)
To brown your butter, cook the salted butter in a saucepan on medium heat until it gives off a slightly nutty aroma and has a golden brown color. Remove from heat and stir in the espresso powder while it is still hot. Let it cool, and then place it in the fridge until it becomes firm but still soft enough to leave an imprint with your finger.
Combine flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
In another large bowl, cream together brown sugar, granulated sugar, and the brown butter.
Beat in the eggs and the vanilla.
Slowly add the dry mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
Add the chocolate chips/chunks and mix just until incorporated (make sure to watch out for chocolate chips sitting at the bottom of the bowl).
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the cookie dough into large balls (about 3-4 tbsp worth of dough for large cookies) and place them on the cookie sheets leaving at least an inch of space around each cookie. Press down gently one each cookie to flatten them just a little.
Bake the cookies for 14-18 minutes until they are golden brown (decrease the time if you are making smaller cookies). Allow to cool completely.
Tips
To brown your butter, brown the salted butter in a saucepan on medium heat until it gives off a slightly nutty aroma and has a golden brown color.
Brown butter needs to be watched carefully to avoid burning, so make sure to pay attention during this step. The brown bits at the bottom are normal, but continually stir the butter while cooking to prevent these bits from burning as well. For this recipe, the brown butter needs to be cooled and then chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. It should be firm, but soft enough to leave an imprint with your finger when pressed.
Use a variety of chocolate chips and chunks to take these cookies up a notch. I use a combination of white, milk, semisweet, and dark chocolate. Leave at least one type of chocolate in large chunks made from roughly cutting a chocolate baking bar.
Once the cookies have first come out of the oven, gently press a few more chocolate chips into the top of each cookie.
Comments
Post a Comment