Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to Laura and Dessert Person

Who doesn't have a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe?  I have been making them all my life and have the recipe memorized, but I have now had to revise my plan since meeting this recipe.  Oh boy, does browning the butter make these extra delicious!  And a bit of planning is involved, as the dough needs at least 12 hours in the fridge to produce the perfect consistency.  So worth it!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• 2 tbs heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, cold from the refrigerator
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate disks, coarsely chopped
• 5 oz milk or semi-sweet chocolate disks, coarsely chopped

Brown the butter:

• Set aside 4 oz of the butter in large mixing bowl and other half in small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter comes to a boil.  Continue to cook, scraping the bottom and sides of pan constantly with heatproof spatula, until butter foams, sputters, and eventually you see browned b its floating about, 5-7 minutes.  Add the browned butter to the bowl with the other butter, making sure you scrape in all the browned bits, then add heavy cream (no need to stir).  Set aside to cool.

Mix dry ingredients:

• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda to combine.  Set aside.

Mix the batter:

• When butter in bowl in slightly warm, add sugars and beat vigorously until mixture is very smooth and thick, about 45 seconds.  Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until mixture is satiny, about 45 seconds.  Add flour mixture and mix until smooth and wel combined.  It will look a bit loose, which is normal.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure all ingredients incorporated.  Add both chocolates and mix to combine.  Set batter aside for 5 minutes to firm slightly.

Scoop:

• Using 2 oz scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop level portions of dough onto parchment lined baking sheet as close together as possible.  Cover the sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48.  Note:  Can freeze at this stage, after chilling on sheet for two hours.  Then move entire cookie sheet to freezer.  Once the balls are frozen solid, pack into resealable freezer bag and store.  Bake directly from freezer without thawing, but may have to add minute or two to baking time.

Preheat:

• oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Bake first batch of cookies:

• Place 6 pieces of chilled cookie dough (don't crowd the sheet with more or cookies will all run together) on each of prepared sheets, spacing balls at least 3" apart.  Bake the cookies on the upper and lower racks until dark golden brown around edges, 15-20 minutes, switching racks and rotating sheets after 12 minutes.  Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then tranfer to cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.