It took me eleven batches. Batch four spread into one giant sad pancake. Batch eleven made my neighbor knock on my door at 8pm holding an empty plate.
The difference is brown butter — cooking the butter until the milk solids toast to a nutty amber. It takes a cookie from ‘nice’ to ‘why is this in my head at 2am.’
The other difference is the chill. A patient hour in the fridge gives you that thick, chewy center with the crisp lacey edge.
Chill the dough. Scoop-and-bake = a puddle. One hour gives you that thick chewy center.
Ingredients
- 1.0 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), browned
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1.0 large egg, plus 1 extra yolk
- 2.0 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1.0 tsp baking soda
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 12.0 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped
- flaky sea salt, for the tops
Method
- Brown the butter. Cook until nutty and amber with brown specks; cool 10 minutes.
- Cream the sugars. Whisk with butter, then add egg, yolk and vanilla until glossy.
- Add the dry stuff. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in chocolate. Chopped bars, not chips.
- Chill. Scoop into mounds, refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Bake. 350°F for 11–12 minutes until edges set, centers underdone.
- Salt & cool. Flaky salt immediately; cool 10 minutes on the tray.
Notes
Dough keeps 3 days in the fridge, 3 months frozen. Under-bake on purpose — residual heat finishes them.
Nutrition
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 298 | 3g | 34g | 17g |
FAQ
Can I skip the chill?
You’ll get thinner, crisper cookies. Even 20 minutes helps; the full hour is the company version.
Why chopped bars instead of chips?
Chips hold their shape; bars melt into glossy pools. Worth the two minutes with a knife.
My butter went from brown to burnt.
No fixing burnt butter — start over. Use a light-colored pan and pull it at nutty.