Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

[DaveD]

Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Cynthia Draper (@DaveD 's lovely bride)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar (220 grams)
1/3 cup sugar (67 grams)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour (270 grams)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. table salt
1 package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I prefer Ghirardelli)
1 package Heath Toffee Bits (or 4 Heath Bars, chopped)

In a skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, it will begin to foam. The foam will subside, and light brown specks will form on the bottom of the pan. Stir constantly with a spatula. Once the butter starts to smell nutty, remove from heat and allow it to cool completely. (Be careful, the butter can go from browned to burnt very quickly, keep stirring for a little bit after you take it off the heat.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Once the butter has cooled completely add it to a bowl of an electric mixer. Cream the sugar, brown sugar, and butter together (use paddle attachment for KitchenAid mixers). Mix in the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, and salt (I like to sift it all together before adding, but not necessary). Mix until just combined (no streaks of flour visible), don’t over mix. Using a spatula, fold in chocolate chips, and toffee chips. (I don’t always do this – I pour both bags into the mixing bowl while on low speed for a few seconds, you get more chocolate flakes.) Dough can be refrigerated in a covered bowl at this point if not ready to bake. Once ready, let bowl sit out about 30 minutes to soften dough.

These cookies spread a bit when baking. Scoop small balls of dough about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets lined with Silpat mats or parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until just golden along the edges. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Store in an air tight container for about a week. [Dave says: Yeah, like they're going to last a week. But still.]

Dough freezes well. I usually bake 2 dozen, and set the rest of the uncooked cookie balls on a parchment lined pan into the freezer to set, then into a zip-lock bag. When you are ready to bake, set how many you want onto a parchment or Silpat lined pan, and bake in a preheated 350F/175C oven for about 15 to 18 minutes. Or you can thaw them and bake as shown above.

[rlozinak]

They look good!

[58limited]

Thanks!

[holehogg]

Look and sound fantastic. Was so excited about making this until I got to the Heath bar's. Look up what I can sub it with. Tell the wife thanks for sharing.

[rickgregory]

Heath Toffee bits are, IIRC, caramelly/coffee tasting (more caramelly). I've not had them in years though, so someone correct me if I'm wrong. But I'd start with something in that taste range.

[DaveD]

You can always just skip the toffee bits entirely, maybe substitute in some chopped pecans or walnuts if you're a nutty kinda guy. Cynthia recommends using only two of the three: choc chips, toffee bits, nuts. Using all three risks the cookies not staying together, says she.

[holehogg]

I've been called a nutty guy on many occasions.

[RonB]

Thanks for the recipe, and especially for the weights. I much prefer using weights.

[DaveD]

We're firmly in the "weight" camp as well, have been for years. Easy to show that any uptake of water vapor from the air has a literally neglibile impact on the weight, it's in the uncertainty of any kitchen scale.

[tbob4]

Thank you much!!