- Prep Time
- 20 min
- Cook Time
- 4 hr 14 min
- Total Time
- 4 hr 34 min
- Yield
- 14 cookies
Ingredients
- 220g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 198g European-style unsalted butter
- 155g packed dark brown sugar
- 100g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 230g 72% dark chocolate, chopped into medium chunks
- 100g milk chocolate, finely chopped
- Fine sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Keep going past the foam, scraping the bottom often, until the milk solids turn deep amber and the butter smells nutty and toffee-like — about 5-8 minutes. Pour directly into a large mixing bowl, scraping every browned speck out of the pan. Let the bowl sit at room temperature for 20 minutes — no fridge — so the butter cools enough that the sugars and eggs do not melt or scramble when they hit it.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, fine sea salt, and baking soda until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Mix butter and sugars: Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the cooled brown butter and whisk vigorously until fully combined and the mixture looks like wet sand, about 1 minute.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Add the vanilla, whole egg, and egg yolk. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns a shade lighter and feels slightly thicker.
- Fold in flour: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Fold with a rubber spatula until just a few dry streaks remain — do not fully combine yet.
- Add chocolate: Add the chopped dark chocolate chunks and the finely chopped milk chocolate. Fold gently until just incorporated and no dry flour remains. Stop the moment it comes together — overmixing toughens the crumb.
- Portion and chill: Using a 2 oz cookie scoop (about 70-75g each), portion 14 dough balls onto a parchment-lined plate or sheet pan. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, for best flavor, color, and ripple structure.
- Preheat: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F with conventional heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper — not a silicone mat, which holds heat and over-spreads these cookies.
- Bake: Place 3-4 chilled dough balls on the sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. They will continue to set on the pan.
- Shape and finish: The moment they come out of the oven, use a fork or the rim of a round cutter to gently nudge any wonky edges into circles — this is also when you get the ripply ring on top by swirling lightly. While still hot, sprinkle with fine sea salt so it sticks to the surface.
- Cool and finish: Let the cookies rest on the pan for several minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Repeat with the remaining chilled dough balls.
Notes
- If using a higher-protein AP flour (above 11%), do 50/50 AP and King Arthur cake flour.