McKenna Johnson’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. Photo: Chris Emeott
“I recommend weighing the ingredients—not just for accuracy, but also because it’s quicker and means fewer dishes to wash.”—McKenna Johnson
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 16 large cookies.
- 2 ⅔ cups (340 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (Do not pack.)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter for browning plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter to add
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ⅔ cup (140 g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. vanilla extract (Measure with your heart.)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (175 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (175 g) bittersweet chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt for topping (Don’t skip this!)
Start with browning 1 cup of butter. To do this, melt the butter in a saucepan (ideally a light-colored one so you can monitor when the color changes) over medium heat, swirling occasionally until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn it. You’ll know it’s done when there are dark specks on the bottom of the pan. Scrape the butter (don’t miss the specks at the bottom) into a separate container and stir in 2 more Tbsp. of unsalted butter to the brown butter. Let the brown butter sit to cool down.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift and whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl to a stand mixer), add the melted and cooled butter, brown sugar and sugar. It’s important that the butter is not hot, but it can be slightly warm. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until it turns into a paste-like consistency. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour in the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold until just combined. Leave a few streaks of flour and pour in the chocolate chips. Continue to fold the dough just until the chocolate chips are dispersed and the flour is completely blended in. Don’t over mix.
Scoop the dough into balls using a large (2 oz.) cookie scoop. Optionally, top with additional chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge.
Pro Tip: You can bake the cookies immediately, but chilling them overnight helps develop their flavor. I like to first chill the dough balls overnight, then transfer them to a plastic bag and freeze them. This way, you can enjoy freshly baked cookies anytime by baking them straight from the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (340 F if baking from frozen), and line a large aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cookies onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 13–15 minutes (16–18 minutes if frozen). The cookies are ready when they have a golden-brown ring around the edges but are still pale and puffy in the center. If your cookies spread too much, you can reshape them by gently nudging the edges with a round cookie cutter or upside-down mug while still warm. When they’re fresh from the oven, sprinkle the cookies with sea salt, and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool for a few more minutes (if you can wait).
