The other night, when I was in San Francisco having dinner with BethT, we got on the subject of chocolate chip cookies.
Because we are food bloggers and that’s what we do.
Anyways, our conversation ended up getting really intense and resulted in me sitting on Beth and Corey’s couch for an additional thirty five minutes after dinner, discussing different recipes that we thought to be “the best ever”. I mean, we all have our standard chocolate chip cookie recipe, right? I’ve been making the same ones for years and they always come out great every time. They’re rich, full of butter and brown sugar. I love them. However, Beth was telling me about a new recipe she tried and then adapted from Cook’s Illustrated a while back. This recipe involved actually browning the butter before creaming it with the sugar, to produce a tender cookie with more underlying caramel tones than usual.
As soon as she mentioned browning butter, I was taken. I must try these cookies she spoke of. For the past forty eight hours, those cookies have been all I’ve thought about—-the idea alone just totally consuming me.
Finally, this morning, we had lift off.
BethT’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
makes about 16 cookies
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 tbsp unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 c white sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar (recipe suggests dark brown, but light brown is also acceptable)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 c chocolate chips
optional: 3/4 c chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 and line two large baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Sift or whisk together the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Put 10 tbsp of the butter in a medium skillet set over medium high heat. Allow the butter to melt for 2 minutes and begin to swirl it around the pan, allowing it to brown. Keep the butter moving so it doesn’t burn. Browning should take about 3 minutes and you’ll know it’s done when it smells nutty and it has a dark golden brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and use a heatsafe spatula to transfer the butter to a large, heatsafe mixing bowl. Add the remaining 4 tbsp of cold butter to the melted butter, and stir gently until it is melted.
Add the white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to the butter and whisk the ingredients together. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk again until mixture is smooth, 30 seconds. Allow the batter to rest for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds more. Do this two more times; the end result should be thick and shiny.
Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined, about 1 minute. Gently stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using. The batter will be soft.
Form each cookie with roughly 3 tbsp of dough (if using a cookie scoop, use a #24). Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake one tray at a time, 10 to 14 minutes, on the middle rack of your oven. Rotate baking sheet after 5 minutes and check the cookies at 10; you want them to be golden brown and set around the edges, but puffy in the middle. (My oven yielded perfect cookies at 12 minutes.)
Allow to cool on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
{ 143 comments… read them below or add one }
I first heard of browning the butter to make more delish cookies from emily {visions of sugarplums blog} it is such a brilliant idea! it adds so much flavor and you are right the smelling is outstanding!
enjoy your cookies.
Drool.
Um. Making these TONIGHT.
i posted this morning about silpats too…holy crap they’re amazing! a little pricey but 100% worth it. ok, fine, 120% worth it!
Those really do look perfect.
What makes a good chocolate chip cookie to me is the tones of vanilla and butter in the base; it’s been really hard to make up a vegan, gluten-free recipe that holds together with that same sort of magic.
How did Beth adapt? I made these last year after reading the recipe in Cook’s Illustrated. They were delish.
Look good, but 14 tbps of butter! Holy moly! I usually make the Tollhouse cookies. Might also be a lot of butter
On another note, is there a specific reason that you use organic sugar when you I know you normally don’t purchase organic milk/eggs etc?
Because I was at Trader Joes and that’s what they sell!
Mmmm… I wouldn’t have thought to brown the butter for cookies. What a wonderfully, brilliant idea!
oh. my. goodness. this is why I have to sop reading food blogs at work. No cookie anywhere near my office can compete with the idea of these.
Good bodacious-GAWD. I don’t like chocolate chip cookies (I like the dough only! And NO, you can’t just call it a sugar cookie b/c that’s a totally diff cookie!) but I’m gonna make me a batch…one w/ dark choco-chips for DF and one w/o the chips for ME!
Love the cooking chronicles you’ve been doing complete w/ step-by-step photo’s. Will you make one of mac & cheese please? =)
I second the mac and cheese request!
Browned butter makes baked goods over-the-top delicious.
I’m sitting here at work simultaneously salivating at the pictures and how I imagine the cookies taste and laughing at your commentary. No wonder my coworkers think I’m strange.
Thank you for posting this! One of my life goals is to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. So far, the Nestle Tollhouse recipe is the best. Classic. BUT, I will say, Martha Stewart has a “cakey” chocolate chip cookie recipe that I can’t always get to come out right, but when it’s right, it’s riiiiiiiight.
Oh. My. Sweet. Almighty. Lord. In. Heaven.
I typically like to avoid baking brownies or cookies because they are a massive trigger food for me and I always end up eating half the batch of cookies and half the dough in the process (I temporarily slip into an episode of complete insanity–I can’t be held responsible!). But I can’t live a full life without having these cookies. They’re being made this weekend. FO SHO.
Be still my gluten and dairy free beating heart.
I’ve been using Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe for a while now and it’s totally worth the effort to brown the butter. I’ll have to give the modified recipe a try!
These look incredible!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
You kill be Jenna. You really kill me.
Need. Cookie. Now.
Oh, my… I told myself no more baking, but these might just have to happen…
Oh Jenna, you crack me up! I love it!
This isn’t even legal!!!!!
One word: swoon.
That is all.
They really DO look like PERFECTION. Holy yum.
I’ve never heard of browning butter for cookies! Those look absolutely amazing!
Holy WOW those look amazing. Your pictures remind me of The Pioneer Woman’s blog and how she takes pictures of all the steps, which is really helpful. YUMMM!!
Oh goodness. Those sound dangerous. I’d be too afraid of eating an entire batch. 14 tablespoons of butter in one sitting isn’t such a good idea. I can’t see how I’d save any cookies for a second sitting.
mmm I make chocolate chip cookies with browned butter and they are so good. I also like to add cinn to the mix. It gives it a little something extra.
those look great! I love desserts that call for brown butter- it adds a great extra level of flavor!
I can hardly believe these are better than AB’s recipe, therefore I must make them at once! Beth never lets me down!!
Cooks Illustrated is the recipe Bible. Just when you think you have a recipe perfected, you try one of theirs and it’s just: Whoa.
These looks delectable
Sipats! Where have you been all my life?!
This cookie recipe looks amazing. Now to see if I can find a way to veganize it…
Sweet Jesus is right!! DROOOOL … thank you for another amazing recipe
Thanks for the recommendation on the Silpats! I use parchment all the time and I’ve been wondering if those are a good replacement.
Yum! Now I want chocolate chip cookies!
hmmm….if all I happen to have at home is light brown sugar, not dark…..will that still work? want to make these tonight!
yep–I used light brown and it worked fine!
yay!
WOW! I’ve definitely made my fair share of cookies in my day, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried making ones with browned butter! YUMMM!
Brown butter..interesting. I am a self-proclaimed expert baker of chocolate chip cookies. I’ll have to give this brown butter a shot.
Wow, I need to try this recipe sooo bad! I’m basically obsessed w/ brown butter, yummm!
I think these call for a contest! You should totally send a batch to the winner AND the person that came up with the idea for the contest
good gracious! I will HAVE to try these. I mean, if they are perfect and all
Just came across your site! LOVE
If you’re going to have chocolate chip cookies , I say go all out and have the buttery real deal. These cookies are it! I don’t substitute with lighter ingredients when baking classic treats (such as cookies), and the key to successful baking is REAL butter.
I can’t get over how delicious those look!
OMG those looking incredibly delicious!
I believe you! They look like the BEST cookies ever!! Browned butter? Yes, please!!
Great, now I want to make these cookies instead of go to the gym…
I almost always go with Cooks Illustrated of Alton Brown because the recipes are really scientific. I love how CI talks about all the diferent trials they did in order to find the perfect cookie. I highly recommend looking up the CI version of any basic you want to make.
Oh–too weird. I just wrote a post about some failure chocolate chip cookies I made with a new recipe. I will have to try making these right away! The recipe I normally make has two sticks of butter, so 14 tablespoons is cutting back for me =) Thanks!!
Oh my. I have been CRAVING chocolate chip cookies for weeks. I think I will make these tonight.
Those are the most PERFECT looking cookies ever! They look delicious!!!
did you use 1 tsp of baking soda or 1/2 tsp? you said 1 tsp in the beginning then it says 1/2 tsp in the recipe. i’m totally making it tonight!!
it’s 1/2 tsp…sorry!
Browning butter first is one of my favorite baking tips. I can’t wait to find an oven to make these in – my partner and I were just talking about all the picnics we’ve been going on lately, lamenting the fact that chocolate chip cookies – a quintessential picnicking food, apparently – have been sadly lacking!
Please! Where did the headband in your last post come from?!!
Cindy wrote in on the last post that she got it from a shop on Haight street in San Francisco last winter.
I am so going to have to pick up the ingredients for these cookies and make them for my husband. His hours are crazy at work right now and I think these will be the perfect treat for him. Thanks Beth and Jenna!
oh my. now THEY are a mighty fine looking cookie!!!
Hi Jenna,
Love your blog. And just wanted to say these cookies look DIVINE, but would you mind giving us a two-liner description on what exactly makes these so magical. I get the caramel notes from the brown butter, but are these crispy, chewy, cakey? Would they be like Mrs Field’s younger and sexy sister?? You’re probably going to say ‘just make em’ and probably will, but I’m curious–what do they taste like??
They are chewy and buttery caramely. I would say better than Mrs Fields, but that’s because I like a really caramely choco chip cookie.
You had me at Chewy….
They look great. How do you keep your silpat so clean looking? Mine has hints of food shapes on it – even though I try to clean it right away.
Oh my goodness these look wonderful!!! It is great timing, as well, because I wanted to make some cookies for my new neighbors. I will definitely be using this recipe!
I just ran to the store to get unsalted butter so I could make these. My first 2 batches are ready (I may have tripled the recipe
) and WOW they are so good!
I have a new “go to” recipe. Thanks
I am all over these…
I confess, I’m a butter lover:) These look delishious!
Holy Moses. Those cookies look delicious. I can’t wait to try out the recipe!! And thanks for sharing about Silpat! I’m not a big fan of parchment paper.
Can’t wait to try these! I have never heard of using browned butter for cookies! Looking forward to trying these! I have been thinking of making a few large cookies to have for dessert under ice cream!
a sad failure on these cookies! I don’t know what I did wrong but they ended up one big melty mess. boo hoo! at least my apartment smells oh so delicious!
Those look amazing and like the best cookies I have ever seen.
Woah. These. Are. Beautiful.
I want to live in one of these cookies.
Oh, I will most definitely be making those!!!
Jenna. I am seriously drooling.
OMGoodness… please send a few home to us!!! How would they be if you added walnuts???
my heart beats for brown butter!
Oh dear God.
I hate you for doing this to me!!! I must make these NOW and eat the entire thing!
Oh my…
Consider this page BOOK-MARKED!!
Are you adding all these to your recipes page as of late??
I’d eat the whole batch in a flash….yum yum !!!!
PLEASE SEND TWO … STAT!
Holy mother of god. Why have I never thought of browning the butter?! I must make those. They must be in my belly!
That’s hysterical! I learned about browning the butter by accident–and TJ’s/Whole Foods etc has a terrific butter, IMHO. Kerrygold, imported Irish Butter. I only use organic products, but give Kerrygold a pass, hoping that the Irish have more sense than we do and don’t laden everything with pesticides, etc.
And apres the cookies? Aigo Boulido soup–is the French cure for everything from headaches, hangovers, and for weight loss. I love it and just posted the recipe earlier today–by coincidence. Now will need it to balance the cookies! lol http://tinyurl.com/npt7ze
Oh, Mama. These look so good. Browning the butter sounds like an ingenious idea. Why can’t I be that smart?
I think I gain a couple of pounds just looking at your blog sometimes. Those cookies looks amazing. I’m hatching plans to make some in the very near future.
I am now officially against trying to make desserts healthy. The real thing tastes and looks SO much better.
Mmmmmmm. I think I might shelve my get-to-bed-early plans and make a few batches of cookies instead. Whats good for the soul is good for the body, right?
sweet jesus is right. is it bad i’m sitting her at work, basically salivating. hand me the elastic waist pants, i’m down for the challenge.
i think my recently made cookies need to meet up with yours, long lost soul mates <3 hehe
Those cookies looks fantastic!!!
WOW these look great!! I love chocolate chip cookies. ; )
I made these tonight and they are literally the best cookie I’ve ever had!! (And I’ve had plenty.) This is now going to be my little secret…I don’t think I’m going to share the recipe!
Mm and now I want a cookie. Have you have tried brown butter ice cream? It sounds weird but I tried it in a place here in austin and OMG LOVES it.
Teddy
I might have to give up my veganism for this!! Just kidding, but looks delicious. Thanks for reminding me I need a silpat. I’ve been meaning to buy one for the past, I don’t know, 10 years?
Good God of all that is holy – those look UH. MAY. ZING.
Those cookies look gorgeous!
I think I’m drooling…pardon me
Do I even need to ask if these were better than your normal recipe? Browned butter? FOURTEEN tablespoons of browned butter?!? That’s my kind of cookie!
Speaking of San Francisco… i just booked a trip there for the end of august! I was hoping you might have some recommendations beyond the typical tourist stuff! I’m planning on at least one wine tour! I would truly appreciate any advice (esp. food and wine related!)
Nadia
Your cookies look INSANELY Good!! Can’t wait to give em a try!
Ohhhh, goodness. These look so good!
I am now craving chocolate chip cookies like nobody’s business.
Love the blog!
you’re on a roll honey child!! Making these…as I type.
now THAT is a chocolate chip cookie recipe— definitely saving this one- even if i dont get around to anytime soon- i for sure be whipping it out for a christmas cookie trial haha
Those look amazing!
Salivating…. that is all.
Holy cow! I thought I had the perfect chocolate chip cookies recipe, but this might just trump it!
hahaha “sweet jesus”! Love it. I want cookies now!
I totally made these last night and they were absolutely delicious!! My husband even loved them!! But then my curiousity got the best of me and I ran the nutritionals on them. I will eat them sparingly… Yikes!
Holy cookies! I’ve browned butter once to make a browned butter frosting – which turned out fantastic. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
Hi Jenna, while you are on the subject of brown butter. I grew up with “brown butter potatoes”. These are best made with new baby potatoes from the garden (OK…get them from the farmers market), brown up some butter (no skimping!) and pour over the boiled NEW potatoes. YUMMY!!! OK…not as good as a chocolate chip cookie. But still pretty good.
One more tip! After watching America’s Test Kitchen (they also advised browning the butter) I learned my favorite new chocolate chip cooking addition – swap out the semisweet for Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips, which won the chip tasting test, and are flatter and melt more interestingly because of their higher fat content. So. So. Good.
Ooh, very interesting about browning the butter first. I always make my chocolate chip cookies with oats. Changes the taste a bit and I love it!
I got this recipe from my god-mother, and it is my favorite by far. The dough tastes like carmel, and the cookies are ridiculously amazing.
For father’s day, I made them as the base for ice cream sandwiches. Needless to say, I’m my dad’s favorite child forevermore. =]
YES!!! Heehee I found this recipe last summer in a library back issue of Cooks Illustrated…once you brown, you never go back! Such lovely depth of caramel tones. These cookies were GONE in 60 seconds. Even my gang of 20-year-old college guys were speechless…for 60 seconds until they started begging for another batch!
I really want these, but not sure if my figure can hanlde them. Seriously, how do you keep such a great body by eating these? I am jealous! I find that even when I break away from my healthy eating for even one meal my body blows up!
Well, there’s a few things you have to take into consideration. First of all, when I make delicious buttery bake goods I have enough self control to stop at just one. Leftover cookies are brought to friends and fed to Almanzo.
going through a fifteen month pastry program will teach you self control!
Second of all, I’m pretty active. On Sunday I went for a five hour hike and yesterday I did an hour of power yoga. I try to exercise (yoga, running, hiking, weight lifting) about four-five times per week so I can enjoy delicious food in moderation! It’s all about the balance…
I made these tonight and they were AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh man, these were amazing! I whipped up a batch this afternoon and we can’t stop eating them! Thanks for the recipe!
I made these tonight…took a pic and sent to my boyfriend. 15 mins. later he shows up with milk! I’m thinking engagement cookies they were ssssooo good!!!
oh yum!
so i have to admit that chocolate chip cookies are something i truly struggle to make from scratch. i’ve made three back-of-the-nestle-toll-house-bag recipe batches and they’ve all turned out albino (i’m famous among my friends for this horrifying phenomenon! ah!)…well needless to say, i was super nervous to try this recipe, but i stayed up late last night making pan after pan of wonderful, buttery, non-albino cookies!! thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
I don’t get what’s so crazy about 14 tbsp of butter. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve found (and made) use 2 sticks… aka 16 tbsp… whatever. Anyways, I’m making these today. Thank you.
These cookies sound absolutely delicious! I’m hosting a cookie party in a few weeks and might try making these…
I finally got around to making these today and they are definitely the best cookies I’ve ever eaten…or made for that matter! So delicious and you’re right…the smell in the kitchen was heavenly.
My cookies turned out really fluffy and soft and I don’t believe I could ever make a better cookie that tastes better than these. They are PERFECT!
I instantly get a craving for these chocolate chip cookies every time I see the pics. I think I am going to give in and make them this weekend. I am taking a trip to San Francisco with my boyfriend next week, I always like to pack a little sweet treat on vacations. I believe these will be the snack.
Hi Jenna,
I’ve tried this recipe twice now, following your recipe & ingredient list completely to the letter and I must say they failed! I see that yours did not change in size much more once baked, whereas mine got considerably larger. Not dissimilar to comment #61.
Yours look terrific. I’m so disappointed I couldn’t achieve the same.
You said roughly 3 tablespoons to lay out onto the sheet. I think that might be too big. Did you mean teaspoons? that may be why people are getting “melty messes”. ha.
Anyways, thanks for the recipe and inspiring people!!!!
I’m trying them now. Are you to cool butter, because I didn’t and when I added the chocolate chips they started to melt and it was swirly ????
I made these cookies last night…wow. So amazing. I stuck the dough in the fridge for a half hour before scooping onto cookie sheets, it made it easier to handle the still slightly warm dough right after it was all mixed.
Cookies came out awesome, obviously, and the house smelled incredible! Thanks for sharing!
Ok. These look like heaven.
I occasionally stop by your blog to see what’s new. I love the new layout! I also love that my son is having a birthday tomorrow and I was planning to make some chocolate chip cookies. Here’s my only issue, I never by “unsalted” butter. If I use salted, should I cut down on the salt called for in the recipe?
Not too sure I’ll be able to wait for an answer, lol…. I’m CRAVING chocolate chip cookies now!
OK, I’m making these tonight for my Dad, for his 70th birthday. He loves chocolate chip cookies, so I’m excited for him to try these. I’ll let you know how it goes!
I made these…omg. No really, OH MY GOD. These were by far the very best chocolate chip cookies I ever made, no, ever ATE, in my entire life. No joke. There was something just so amazing about the texture. And the rich, caramel flavor that comes through from the broned butter. I am hooked. Thank you!
I just made these and they came out amazingly! I’m so excited to take them to a party tonight. Thanks for sharing!
just made these last night and they did NOT disappoint!!!!! thanks!
yes!
Baking these was the single best thing I did all weekend! I love the original ATK Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Infact, that is the only cookie recipe I’ve made in the last 3 or 4 years! I wanted to change it up today and this was exactly what I needed.
DEEEELIIISHHHH!
And when I say the only cookie recipe, I mean the only chocolate chip cookie recipe… heh
that’s so great. Baking is a wonderful weekend highlight!
I just made chocolate chip cookies yesterday with a recipe from the Cooks Illustrated cookbook, “The New Best Recipe” so I’m wondering if that’s the same recipe yours is adapted from. If so the cookies are amazing! The original recipe calls for 12 tbsp. of butter and I thought THAT was a lot
Okay, these cookies rocked my face off. They were so good in fact that they motivated my husband to go chisel off the 3 inches of ice coating our steps and sidewalk. I’m in love.
These were by far the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! My new go-to recipe. . . thanks for posting, and re-posting the link!
Made these last night. You’re right. They seriously ARE perfect. I was a liiitttle worried that there were going to spread with so much better and my batter was super shiny and smooth, but I didn’t need to stress! These hardly spread at all and came out gooey in the middle, crispy on top and the PERFECT caramel undertones. Now I’m off to take all the credit with my boyfriend…
I made these cookies for my coworkers for our Holiday party last week and they were a hit! The recipe was so simple, too. I have never made a more delicious cookie. This recipe is definitely becoming a staple for the holidays (or any day).
Thank you for sharing this!
Mandy