Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi y’all.  So it has been about 2 years …eeek. Sorry about that.  There have been  new jobs, new cities, new friends, lots of vacations, and 2 dog surgeries that have happened since then, but I have been cooking the whole time! I decided to start an instagram account (@spicenice), more for a personal way to keep a log of things I have made and liked; but I got a request for this chocolate chip cookie recipe and I figured, why not start blogging again!

I made these cookies for a very specific purpose – to give to the wonderful workers at Pet Palace, who saved our dear dog Houston’s life by recognizing immediately that something was wrong with our normally bubbly and light hearted pup, and got him to the vet ASAP. They really couldn’t have been more wonderful  – between covering the initial diagnostic vet bill, to transporting him all the way across town to where he could have the needed emergency surgery done, to just generally loving our pup, we are really grateful. And so I figured they deserved a special cookie. Chocolate chip will forever be my favorite (and the most popular); but how can you make it even better….brown butter and flakey sea salt, that’s how. These were really good.  I actually consider it a serious win on the new years resolutions that I managed to only eat 2.  Enjoy, and hopefully you’ll be hearing from me again soon!

Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 and 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

One bag semisweet chocolate chip cookies

Fleur de Sel or flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is frothy and browned, about 7-8 minutes or so (the browning process goes quickly once it starts so watch it carefully.)

2.  Transfer the butter to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature, or place in fridge to help the process.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

4. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the browned butter and both types of sugar, until smooth and light, about 7 minutes. This will only work if you have let the butter cool completely.

5. Add in the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk, and the vanilla.

6. Decrease the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients.

7. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

8. Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

9. The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

10. Using a cookie dough scoop, place about 2-3 Tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie individual with flakey sea salt. For thinner cookies let the dough reach room temperature before baking.

11. Bake each cookie sheet until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom, about 12-14 minutes or so.  Because of they previously browned butter they brown quickly so check yours accordingly.

Adapted from:  The Curvy Carrot, Originally from Food and Wine magazine,  June 2012 issue.