by Sophia Leone

It’s fair to say that chocolate chip cookies are a favorite crowd-pleaser and an essential comfort food. But most people will find pretty much any chocolate chip cookie adequate. ‘It’s just a cookie,’ one might think, ‘they all taste the same.’ As the baking snob I am, I find this infuriating. Not just any chocolate chip cookie is good enough. You need the perfect one, the one that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head as you take the first bite. Luckily, my brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies do just the trick. 

The tactics used in this recipe may seem tedious, but they take your standard chocolate chip cookie to a whole new level. Browning the butter adds richness and a nutty flavor, and homemade toffee creates a surprising crunchy caramel element that is different from any other cookie. Another pro tip that makes these cookies so good is using a proportion of ¾ bread flour to ¼ all-purpose flour. Bread flour has more protein, so it allows for a higher liquid retention and a tight hold on the gluten, making the cookies more chewy and enjoyable.

Toffee (make this first!)

Ingredients 

• 6 tbsp butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• water

Directions

• Melt the butter and sugar together in a pan on medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture reaches 290 degrees Fahrenheit, adding in a dash of water if it looks lumpy.
• Pour the mixture on a baking pan lined with tin foil.
• Freeze until it is ready to be added into the dough.

Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup bread flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp espresso powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2-3 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate bars
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally as it melts. Cook until the butter starts to bubble, turn light brown, and has a nutty aroma. Pour the melted butter into a bowl and set aside. 
• Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter. Whisk until dissolved.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture for 30 seconds, then let it rest for another 30 seconds, repeating until the liquid is smooth. Then set the bowl to the side.
• In a large bowl, sift together the bread flour, all purpose flour, salt, espresso powder, and baking powder. 
• Incorporate the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Cut the chocolate bars into chunks and mix into batter.
• Roll the dough into round balls and place on a cookie tray. Optional: For a more intense flavor, freeze/chill cookie dough overnight. 
• Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let the cookies cool for 10 min on the baking sheet, then transfer onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy!