Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are a true classic. There’s nothing in the world like a good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie dipped in milk and I’m a believer in staying true to the spirit of a classic. That said, I like my chocolate chip cookies on the chewier side vs. caky, and with crisp edges, so I made that a priority. These also get a flavor boost in the form of brown butter instead of regular melted butter, and some chopped walnuts for added nuttiness (optional).
Tip: I make these with 60% chocolate or bittersweet chocolate to cut through the sweetness of the actual cookie dough, but if you want it sweet all-around, go with milk chocolate!
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 ounces chocolate chunks
4 ounces of roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
Flaky salt for topping
Directions
Preheat your oven to
Begin by browning your butter. Add your butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling until completely melted. Continue to cook, swirling, until the melted butter bubbles violently, then foams and milk solids are turning light brown. Careful not to burn them! It should smell nutty and fragrant when done. Set it to the side to let it cool for a few minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine both types of sugar, then pour the warm brown butter over the top and whisk until a loose paste forms.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is uniform, then add in the flour and baking soda and mix with a spatula until only a few streaks of flour remain.
Add the chocolate and walnuts to the mixture and stir with the spatula until no dry streaks remain.
Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. When it’s done, preheat your oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet (I use two just to avoid the possibility of cookies bleeding into each other in the oven) with parchment paper.
Using an ice cream scoop and your hands, form the dough into twelve relatively equal balls and place them two inches apart on your baking sheet(s).
Sprinkle each ball lightly with flaky salt and bake for 13-16 minutes. The middles may not appear completely set when you remove them from the oven but they will set as the cookies cool.
Let the cookies cool and enjoy :)
