Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you haven't heard about browned butter...look it up.

It's like unlocking the mystery of what up until this very moment mankind thought was impossible...improving the flavor of butter.

These are the third chocolate chip cookie I've blogged about, the millionth I've baked, but the first that has utilized the mystical technique of browning butter.

Don't tell, but basically it involves melting butter in a pot and stirring it until it turns brownish.  It adds a complexity to the flavor.  You may remember me using browned butter before in these pumpkin cookies...and boy were they a hit.  My list of favorite cookies is getting long.

But just plain chocolate chip (with pecans and the special butter of course) will always have a warm, gooey, crispy-on-the-edges yet soft-in-the-center place in my heart.

In case you didn't notice, I'm back on the cookies.

Now I've never been a believer in refrigerating chocolate chip cookie dough before baking it, which some bakers swear by.  I've never noticed much difference.  However, after you melt the butter and brown it, you DO have to put it back in the fridge to harden up at least to "soft".  It's worth it.

So is Cricket.

Sticking her snoot through the back of the chair...

Make these.  Eat a bunch of the dough, then eat a bunch of the cookies.  Then begrudgingly bring the rest in to your coworkers to celebrate your last day of a weird schedule.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from here)

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt (or regular salt)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 lb semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring constantly.  Butter will foam, and then foam will subside and you'll notice it turning a brown color.  Remove from heat, refrigerate.

Once butter is solid and back to room temperature or soft, combine butter and sugars, creaming until mixed thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture a little at a time until just combined.  Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 11 minutes, or until golden at the edges.