The Spiced Life

Musings & Recipes From My Kitchen

  • Home
  • About Me
  • FAQ
  • Dishes By Region
  • Archive and Index
  • Creative Cookie Exchange
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / browned butter / Salted Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Salted Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

October 20, 2012 By Laura 12 Comments

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Yummly
  • Twitter
  • Email

Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I am watching football as I write this.

That might be a bad idea.

I am reduced to multi-tasking because life has been just so hectic lately–as it is every October, really. Between various birthdays, annual autumnal celebrations, cleaning for my in-laws visiting, Halloween and, well, stuff, I seem to always be gasping for air in October. And I suppose it does not help that every Saturday everything must stop for me to watch my beloved Michigan Wolverines (honesty compels me to acknowledge that my husband would say hell no it doesn’t help. He is not a football fan.).

Right now the Michigan band is marching and I have preliminary goosebumps. When the players run out of the tunnel and jump to touch the GO BLUE banner, that is when I get really serious goosebumps. Weirdly, I was not such a huge fan when I attended Michigan. I went to the games, of course, but I was a diehard NFL fan and I lived and breathed the Cleveland Browns. But the Browns left for Baltimore, breaking my heart, and as I myself moved around (the northeastern quadrant of) the country, I discovered my alumnae loyalties traveled with me far more easily than did my loyalties to a city without a football team. By the time the Browns came back, all that remained was a loyalty to the Cleveland Indians, and I was completely and officially a big college football fan. And basketball. And (ice) hockey.

So forgive my distraction.

Browned Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Some cookies are not photogenic. But some are and speak for themselves. Forgive me the lack of modesty, but I think these speak for themselves. Don’t you want to eat one? I do. Well executed– read crispy, chewy, thick and craggy– variations of chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite cookies ever, and much like those Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies, I have not been able to stop thinking about and craving these either. But in case the photos have not convinced you, maybe Alex can:

child eating browned butter dark chocolate chunk cookie

Alex helped me make the cookies. She cracks me up because ever since I taught her to be precise when measuring flour, she is determined to be that precise when measuring all ingredients. Including, for example, salt:

child measuring salt for baking, using knife to level

I think maybe she just likes leveling ingredients with a knife!

The browned butter is really delicious in these cookies. Somehow it grabs hold of the essence of what makes a chocolate chip cookie a chocolate chip cookie–that buttersctoch vanilla flavor–and just makes it more so. And if you let the cookie dough rest the texture is fantastic. I don’t care what the instructions say, always let a drop cookie dough rest before baking. At least an hour or so, but really preferably overnight. That’s how you get that fantastic crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, super thick cookie.

browned butter melting cubed butter

I should add here that I have several browned butter cookies coming up to share with you–this is the first–and with each cookie I have become better at browning the butter. I have decided the key is to whisk or stir constantly, which I did not do here. Don’t get me wrong, these cookies set a pretty low bar for the successful browning of the butter, i.e., they will be great even if you don’t do a perfect job. But I have learned to get the butter even more consistently reddish brown, with no dark brown spots, and the key is constant attention and whisking. Keep scraping those bits off the bottom of the pan!

scooped browned butter chocolate chunk cookie dough waiting to bake

As long as I am (kind of) on the topic of secrets to perfect cookies, in addition to letting the dough rest, do not overcrowd the pan. I know it is more work, as it takes more rounds in the oven, but I have decided 6 cookies per pan is (almost always) the perfect number. As is the size above, about 2-3 tablespoons worth of dough. Smaller than a giant 1/4 cup bakery style cookie, but big enough to have some heft, thickness and chew. And at 6 balls per pan, each cookie gets plenty of heat circulation above and around it.

child eating browned butter chocolate chunk cookie

Why do I have this niggling feeling you want me to shut up already and share this amazing recipe? I found the recipe at eat, live, run, and my only adaptations were as I described above, letting the dough rest and baking 6 cookies per sheet. And to sprinkle each cookie with coarse grey sea salt. I used Scharfen Berger’s semi sweet chocolate chunks.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

 

Filed Under: browned butter, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, kids cooking Tagged With: browned butter, chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chunk, cookies

« Gingerbread Pancakes
Uncle Chris’s “Fist Sized Meatballs” »

Comments

  1. Susan says

    October 20, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    These cookies do look pretty amazing. Salt + brown butter + chocolate chunks = delicious!

    Reply
  2. Jen @ Savory Simple says

    October 21, 2012 at 8:15 am

    What’s not to love about these cookies? How yummy.

    Reply
  3. Joanne says

    October 21, 2012 at 8:40 am

    I still haven’t jumped on the brown butter bandwagon yet and I rue that fact every day! I need to get on it.

    Reply
  4. Norah Chepkoech says

    October 22, 2012 at 7:14 am

    The cookies look so delicious but why salt and not sugar?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      October 23, 2012 at 12:34 am

      There is sugar IN the cookie of course. The salt plays off the sweet caramelized notes and the chocolate itself in a way that is hard to describe but ends up making the whole thing better. I HIGHLY recommend trying it!

      Reply
  5. Sydney @ Crepes of Wrath says

    October 22, 2012 at 10:06 am

    There’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing someone bite into a chocolate chip cookie and really get in there! Chocolate on your fingers and hands it the way to go – who cares what other people think? Enjoy that cookie! The browned butter sounds awesome, too.

    Reply
  6. Heather | Farmgirl Gourmet says

    October 22, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    Oh yum. What else is there to say? Great recipe!

    Reply
  7. mother says

    October 23, 2012 at 9:41 am

    yes they are that good

    Reply
  8. Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste) says

    October 23, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Oh what I would give for one of those beauties to pair with my cup of coffee right now! YUM!

    Reply
  9. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says

    October 25, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    Oh my gosh, these salted browned butter choco chunk cookies are irresistable!!! Can’t stop staring at them. I may just go whip up a batch right now. The addition of sea salt makes it even more interesting. Thanks for the recipe & the nice comments on my blog, Laura 🙂

    Reply
  10. grace says

    October 28, 2012 at 4:44 am

    chocolate chip cookies have nothing on chocolate chunk cookies–there’s a whole different level of tastiness (and messiness–you WILL have chocolate on your face!).
    i finally watched the arrow pilot and loved it, probably because steven amell is a perfect physical specimen. 🙂 did you watch mockingbird lane? i thought it was good fun.

    Reply
  11. sally says

    October 30, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    PERFECTION. Serious, the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve EVER made. And I’ve made a lot. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Enter your email here and never miss a post!

Popular Posts

  • Restaurant Style Beef Vindaloo
  • Taralli Dolci di Pasqua (Southern Italian Easter Cookies): #CreativeCookieExchange
  • Grandma’s Beef and Noodles
  • Mexican Ramen Bowl
  • New Orleans Style Pain Perdu (French Toast)
  • Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions (redux)
  • Middle Eastern Scrambled Eggs with Meat and Onion: Review of An Edible Mosaic
  • Saag Gosht (Beef in Fragrant Spinach Sauce)
  • North Indian Baked Eggs: Review of Seven Spoons
  • Goan Influenced Goat Stew in the Slow Cooker

Copyright © 2008–2023 The Spiced Life