Equipment
Ingredients
Brown Butter Base
- 225 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 ice cube, frozen
Wet Ingredients
- 200 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 280 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g fine sea salt
Mix-ins
- 200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the cubed butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter foams, the foam subsides, and the milk solids at the bottom turn a toasted amber color. It should smell nutty and rich.
Remove pan from heat immediately. Carefully add the ice cube (or 15ml cold water) to the hot butter. It will sizzle and foam aggressively—this replaces moisture lost during browning. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the cooled butter. Whisk vigorously (by hand or mixer) until the mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
Fold in the chopped chocolate chunks until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 50-60g balls (golf ball size) and place 5cm apart on the sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, but the centers should still look slightly underbaked and soft.
Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to set before moving to a wire rack.
Chef's Notes
- Chopping a chocolate bar is superior to using chips. Chips contain stabilizers to hold their shape; chopped chocolate creates pockets and pools of melted cocoa.
- The ice cube trick is a pastry chef secret. Browning butter evaporates the water content (about 15-18% of butter's weight). Replacing it ensures the gluten hydrates properly for the right texture.
- Using just the yolk of the second egg increases the fat content relative to water, creating a fudgier, denser texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Dough improves with age (up to 72 hours). Store baked cookies in airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze dough balls solid, then transfer to bag. Bake from frozen (add 2-3 minutes).
Reheating: Microwave for 10-15 seconds to restore gooey texture.
