Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Update (Aug 2021) for an added secret ingredient.

The Roommate (capital R) is a cookie monster. Numerous batches of chocolate chip cookies later…here we are. Note: these need to rest overnight, so start the night before you want to eat them or you will have a very hangry cookie monster on your hand…

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter

  • 6 tbsp whole milk

  • 260g all-purpose flour

  • 6g (2 tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

  • 6g (1 tsp) baking soda

  • 1.5-2 tbsp whole milk

  • 160g dark brown sugar

  • 80g granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs, cold from the fridge

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract OR 1-2 tbsp espresso powder

  • 280g coarsely chopped chocolate or chocolate disks

Instructions

  1. Combine 2 sticks unsalted butter and 6 tbsp of whole milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring frequently with a spatula. When the butter starts to foam, use spatula to peek under the foam and keep cooking until the white milk solids turn brown. Turn off heat. If using espresso powder, add that here and mix.

  2. With your large heat-resistant mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl) set over a scale, pour the browned butter (be sure to scrape in all its browned bits) into the bowl. It will weigh ~200g. Add whole milk to this until you reach 227g (aka the amount of butter you started with), about 1.5 to 2 tbsp.

  3. Stick this bowl in the fridge or over an ice bath until it’s cooled and solid. You will want this to be solid, but still soft and cream-able, about 60 to 65F.

  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.

  5. In your butter bowl, add the sugars. Using the paddle on a stand mixer or an electric hand held mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the bowl down.

  6. Add both eggs and the vanilla extract and mix together (on low first, then higher). Scrape the bowl down.

  7. Add all of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.

  8. Remove bowl from stand mixer, add all of the chocolate chips and fold with a spatula to combine.

  9. The dough is probably a little loose and sticky right now. Let chill and set in the fridge for ~20 minutes.

  10. Using a cookie scoop (mine is 3 tbsp), scoop the dough into mounds onto lined quarter sheets (you will need 2). No need to set them far apart since we’re just chilling them for now.

  11. Top each cookie with a generous sprinkling of flakey sea salt (I use Maldon’s)

  12. Let the cookies rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

  13. (Optional) After 12 hours of resting, transfer the trays to the freezer and freeze completely. Then, put the dough balls into a ziplock.

  14. To bake, pre-heat an oven or toaster oven to 350F. Space the dough balls at least 2 -3 inches apart on a lined baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes, up to 20 minutes, to your preferred done-ness. Allow cookies to cool a bit on the baking sheets (they will be very very soft) before transferring to a wire rack (or your mouth)

Et voila, the best chocolate chip cookies ever (Cookie Monster R’s words, not mine. I don’t even like cookies) … on demand!

References