Ingredients:
- 250 g (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter (High quality)
- 280 g (2 1/4 cups) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Fine Grain Salt
- 200 g (1 cup) Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 100 g (1/2 cup) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Vanilla Extract
- 250 g (1 1/2 cups) Dark Chocolate Chips or Chunks (60-70% cocoa solids)
- Flaky Sea Salt, for finishing sprinkle
Instructions:
- Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids turn a deep amber-brown colour and give off a nutty aroma (5–8 minutes).
- Cool: Immediately transfer the hot brown butter (including the dark solids) to a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Allow it to cool for about 20 minutes until it’s warm to the touch.
- Combine Sugars: Add the brown and granulated sugars to the cooled brown butter. Mix on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine salt until fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed only until just combined. Stop mixing immediately when you no longer see streaks of flour (do not overmix).
- Fold in Chocolate: Gently fold in the chocolate chips/chunks using a rubber spatula.
- Chill the Dough (Crucial): Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally 24 hours, to allow the flour to fully hydrate and deepen the flavour.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Season: Scoop the dough into 2-ounce balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the top of each dough ball with a pinch of flaky sea salt before baking.
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes. The edges should be set and golden brown, but the centres should still look slightly soft and underdone.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.