Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I love, love, love chocolate chip cookies and with Valentine's Day upon us it seemed like a perfect time to make them. I'm not anti-Valentine's Day by any means, but years of working in a florist has killed the over the top excitement I used to feel about Valentine's Day. So rather than head out to a restaurant and be given a dozen roses my husband Joseph and I prefer to spend the holiday quietly at home with a nice home cooked meal and a yummy dessert. Unfortunately these wont be served for Valentine's as they barely made it two days before they were all gone! I made these the other day when we had some company over and they got a big thumbs up all around from everyone who tried one. I love the browned butter aspect of the cookies, which gives the outside a big crunch but still makes for a nice soft center, which to me makes for the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

I based my recipe off of the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie found on Brown Eyed Baker's blog, although because of using the browned butter mine were very crispy and less on the chewy side. I also use less butter as I always do with my recipes and I always have been and will be a one bowl kind of baker, meaning I always toss all my ingredients together in one big bowl and just go for it! Any way you do they're delicious cookies and the technique Michelle uses to form the cookies works great with this recipe. You can find her version of the recipe here.


Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes     I     Bake Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plus two tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter 
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. (I sprayed the paper on the first batch but forgot to do so on the second batch and the second batch without the cooking spray actually came out better.)

In a small frying pan start to melt the butter and cook it down until it becomes slightly browned. Set aside and allow it to cool.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all of your dry ingredients and then add in the eggs and vanilla and the cooled butter. Once the ingredients are nicely incorporated stir in the chocolate chunks and mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.

I used an ice cream scoop to measure out the balls of dough. Roll the dough into a ball and then break the ball in half into two equal halves. Turn both halves so the jagged edges are facing out and press the two halves back together to form a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets about 2.5 inches apart from one another.

Bake the cookies approximately 15 minutes until they have puffed up in the center and the edges are slightly crispy. Remove them immediately from the baking sheet and place on wired racks to cool.