Amazing Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

“Baking cookies is comforting, and cookies are the sweetest little bit of comfort food. They are very bite-sized and personal.” —Sandra Lee

The warm aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies brings back so many warm memories, from the nostalgia of childhood bake sales to bonding over baking cookies with my sister as youngsters.

Despite the plethora of baked goods available everywhere nowadays, the simple chocolate cookie has always been a family favorite. Baking for your family and friends is one of the best gifts you could give them.

When my children were little, their faces would light up when I presented them with a plate of freshly baked cookies. Then, as they grew older, I would bake cookies for them as an after-school snack, a treat for play dates with friends, or a simple dessert.

I have previously experimented with myriad different chocolate chip cookie recipes. I made the original Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies to Ravneet Gill’s perfect chocolate chip cookies to Butter and Brioche’s chocolate chip cookies.

This past year, I baked even more than usual due to stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. Trust me when I tell you my family was not complaining. We are all addicted to chocolate chip cookies.

I discovered this great new recipe, which is now my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.

These delightful cookies are made with brown butter and only dark brown sugar for a vibrant, buttery, and caramelly flavor. By gently cooking the melted butter, it imparts a nutty and bold flavor resulting in brown butter.

Your family will love them just as much as my family does.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk it as it cooks.
2. Remove from heat after a couple of minutes when the butter turns brown.
3. Add brown sugar.
4. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
6. Add the dry ingredients.
7. Stir in chocolate chips and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Portion dough with a scoop and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
10. Bake 6 to 11 minutes until edges are golden brown.
11. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes.

Tips

• I prefer unsalted butter to salted butter when baking.
• I like to use dark brown sugar for a more caramelly flavor; however, light brown sugar can also be used.
• I prefer to use semisweet chocolate chips, but you can use any type. We enjoy having tons of chocolate chips in every bite, with Nestle and Ghirardelli being our favorite brands.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container for a maximum of 4 days at room temperature.
• Enjoy these yummy treats with milk or hot chocolate.
• How to Freeze Cookie Dough: When the cookie dough is ready, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then scoop even-sized dough balls right onto the sheet. Leave a bit of space between each ball. It is best to use a small ice cream scoop to do the job. Next, place the entire sheet directly into the freezer. Let the dough freeze until it is solid. The cookie dough must freeze completely, or the balls will stick together when stored. When the batch is completely frozen, transfer the cookie dough balls into an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Happy Baking! And to quote author Robert Fulghum:

“Think what a better world it would be, if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon.”

This article originally appeared on Medium.