Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz dark chocolate, chopped (or 1 1/2 cups chips)
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat, swirling, until it foams, then turns amber with brown specks and smells nutty, 5–7 minutes. Pour into a bowl (bits and all) and cool 15 minutes.
- Mix. Whisk the brown butter with both sugars, then the eggs and vanilla until glossy.
- Fold. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined, then the chopped chocolate.
- Chill. Chill the dough 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor). Scoop 2-tablespoon balls.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set and golden but centers look soft. Sprinkle with flaky salt and cool 5 minutes on the pan.
💡 Cookie smarts
Watch the butter like a hawk after it foams — it goes from nutty-amber to burnt in under a minute. Chopped bar chocolate beats chips for those glorious melted pools. A 24-hour dough rest deepens the toffee flavor dramatically if you can wait.
Common questions
How do I know the butter is browned?
It foams, then the foam subsides and brown specks appear with a nutty aroma. If it smells acrid or looks black, start over.
Can I skip chilling?
You can, but the cookies spread more and the flavor is less deep. Even 30 minutes makes a difference.
Why chopped chocolate instead of chips?
Chopped bar chocolate creates irregular melted pools; chips hold their shape. Both work, but pools photograph (and taste) better.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes — freeze scooped balls up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes.
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