Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed (100g)
- 1/3 cup white sugar (65g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp vinegar
- ½ tbsp gel red food color
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (160g)
- 2 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder (12g)
- ¾ tsp salt (adjust to ½ tsp if preferred less salty)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Chocolate
- 8 oz or 225g chopped chocolate (mix of white, milk and dark: 3 oz white, 2.5 oz dark, 2.5 oz milk to taste)
Optional
- Flakey sea salt to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Browning the Butter: Place the butter in a non-stick pan and melt it over medium-low heat. Stir continuously for a few minutes until the butter turns golden brown and emits a caramel-y, nutty aroma.
- Adding Sugars: Reduce heat to the lowest setting, add both brown and white sugars, and whisk for one minute to help dissolve and develop flavor without melting or caramelizing the sugars.
- Cooling the Mixture: Remove from heat and allow the butter-sugar mixture to cool for 5 minutes until warm but not hot.
- Combining Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla bean paste, vinegar, and red food color to the warm mixture. Whisk briskly for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Preparing Dry Ingredients: Sift together flour, Dutch processed cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix to combine evenly.
- Mixing Dough: Ensure wet ingredients are not hot. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula until just incorporated to avoid overmixing.
- Adding Chocolate: Carefully fold in the chopped chocolate pieces until evenly distributed but do not overwork the dough.
- Forming Cookie Dough Balls: Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out 10 dough balls. If dough is too soft, chill for 10 minutes before scooping. Shape them gently without compressing.
- Preparing for Chill: Place the dough balls on a plate or baking sheet and optionally top with extra chocolate chunks. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight to develop texture and flavor.
- Preheating Oven and Baking Sheet Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) on a conventional (no fan) setting and line a large, light-colored cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Arranging Cookies for Baking: Transfer chilled dough balls onto the prepared sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Baking: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, adjusting time for desired softness and gooeyness. Baking one test cookie first is recommended.
- Finishing Touch: Immediately after baking, sprinkle cookies lightly with flakey sea salt if desired, then let cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Serving: Serve and enjoy the cookies warm for the best flavor and texture experience.
Notes
- Brown the butter carefully to avoid burning; it should smell nutty and caramel-like.
- Do not overmix the dough once dry ingredients are added to maintain tender cookies.
- Chilling the dough is essential for flavor development and to control spreading during baking.
- Using a light-colored baking sheet ensures even baking without over-browning the bottoms.
- Adjust salt levels to taste, especially if using salted butter or preferring less salt.
- Feel free to customize the chocolate mix according to preference for sweetness and intensity.
- Serve warm for the softest texture; cookies firm up as they cool.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
