This fantasy-causing harmoniously blends crunchy toffee, decadent brown butter, and various chocolates for the ultimate dessert of your dreams.
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A couple of months back I woke up a girl on a mission: a mission to create the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Inspired by that fanciful dream, I took to the kitchen and questioned all that I knew about baking. While I didn't know exactly what direction I wanted to take the dough, one thing was for certain: the cookies needed to feature brown butter.
The process of browning butter is actually similar to that of caramelizing onions. Melting the butter and allowing it to sit on a stove's burner evaporates any water content, leaving an extremely rich concoction that has broken down to simple sugar molecules, giving it a deeper, caramel-like flavor. Only the milk solids of the butter are left, which toast and adopt a sweeter and nutty taste.
As it bubbles, colors deepen and the liquid becomes deliciously fragrant. Brown butter is notorious for elevating any dish it's added to, characteristic of its layer-building, flavor-enhancing abilities. It's a simple and delicious way to impress guests or yourself with your cooking and baking expertise!
“OMG- Best cookies you ever made!”
Thanks, Dad:) Maybe I cheated the system though, as an alternate title for these coookioes could be 'Dad's Downfall Cookies'. A farm stand my mom used to frequent baked what were previously some of the best cookies I had. The trick? They had toffee! Bob and I fiended for these when I was younger, so it only felt right to incorporate them into what was meant to be the 'ultimate' cookie'. A bit of white chocolate enriches the cookies and Semi-sweet and dark chocolate complements and helps even this sweetness. The optional choice of including crushed graham crackers or digestive biscuits gives these cookies the perfect extra edge and crunch!
These cookies don't last more than two or three days here, so the freezing extra dough is a great way to keep some for later! Cookie dough will keep in the freezer for about 6 months.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 3/4 t kosher salt
- 1 cup, packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 t vanilla
- 1/2 cup toffee bits (store-bought or home-made is great! I recommend heath pieces for in-store if available to you)
- 1 cup dark and/ or semi-sweet chocolate (I switch it up pretty constantly with incredible results every time)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips...grow up.
- Optional: crushed-up graham crackers or chocolate-dipped digestive biscuits
Steps
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium. Stir frequently as it melts, foams, and darkens (5-8 minutes). Transfer to a dish and allow to cool as you prep the rest.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Into the brown butter, mix your sugars. Use an electric or stand mixer to whip these together on medium for just a minute. While increasing speed to medium-high, add eggs one at a time, along with vanilla by the teaspoon. Once thickened by an additional minute of mixing, use a utensil to stir in your mix-ins (chocolate, toffee, etc) by hand.
Wrap your dough up and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Because this recipe used melted butter instead of softened, the moisture content of the batter is currently to high and must be reduced for a good, chewy cookie.
Preheat your oven to 375° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a scooper or your hands to form the dough into balls (2 T is standard but it's not trivial) and place on your baking sheets with a couple of inches to spare on each side so your cookies can spread freely as they bake.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, letting the cookies' edges form a perfectly golden-brown crust. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes after baking, and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we have! Remember that baking and cooking are all about creativity, so don't be afraid to start experimenting in the kitchen. It may take a few trials, but Einstein-impressing recipes are inside us all!
How do you prefer cookies?
Chewy and more underdone (According to my mother, raw)
Crispy shell, chewy inside *Goldilocks has entered the chat*
Crispy (Tate's adjacent- my personal nightmare, Ben's dream)
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