Ever since Joy the Baker posted her "Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe, I've considered her a baking goddess. Since CCCs are a staple for me, I'm always on the lookout for new and improved recipes. While I was perfectly happy with Jacques Torres's "Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie", I wasn't a huge fan of waiting the recommended 24-36 whole hours to bake. I generally want cookies immediately and don't often plan out my cookie craving days in advance. Sometimes when I'm feeling particularly hungry I bake them right away without a minute of chilling - it's okay to rebel. Joy recommends a very reasonable 30 minutes of chilling time. I can get on board with that. 

Brown butter. One of the ingredients in this recipe that really changes the chocolate chip cookie game. That, combined with a dash of molasses, adds a whole new layer of flavor to the end product. Top that with a dash of sea salt to finish and you have the perfect balance of salty + sweet.

On the dough to burnt to a crisp scale, I prefer my chocolate chip cookies (and most cookies in fact) on the chewy and slightly under-baked side. A touch of crispiness on the outside and I'm happy. I found that this cookie texture and baking time were just right for me. 

While I've made Joy's recipes many times by the book, I recently decided to toss in a few of my favorite chocolate chip cookie additions - oatmeal and shredded coconut. If you're more inclined to go the traditional route, simply omit the oatmeal + shredded coconut (but seriously, why?), and replace it with a 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts. 

Without further ado, let's jump into the recipe!

Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies + Coconut and Oatmeal  

Joy the Baker cookbook

Servings: About 36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • I use milk chocolate (I have a serious sweet tooth)
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• Coarse sea salt, to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Place half the butter (8 tablespoons) in a medium skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling it in the pan occasionally. As it cooks you'll notice that it will begin to foam and froth, even popping as it heats up. That's what you want! After a minute or two, the crackling noises will stop. Make sure to watch the butter closely at this point and give it a swirl every 20 seconds or so. You should see brown bits (it's not burning!) forming on the bottom of the pan and the butter will begin smelling nutty. Once the bits are a rich brown (about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or so after the sizzling stops), pour the butter into a small bowl - make sure to scrape out all of the brown bits.  This will stop the butter from cooking and burning.  Allow it to cool for 20 minutes - I often times throw mine in the freezer to expedite the cooling process (see cookie impatience referenced above).

2. While your brown butter is cooling, beat a 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until it's smooth.

3.  Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon molasses to your mixture. Beat until evenly distributed.

4. Now onto the best part. Time to add in your browned butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and light. 

5. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk to the mixture and beat for another minute.

6. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, beating on low speed just until everything is incorporated.

7. To avoid over-beating the dough, Use a spatula to add your chocolate chips, coconut, and oatmeal. Make sure to scrape any remaining dry flour bits into the dough during this process.

8. Form your dough into a thick disk and wrap in plastic for at least 30 minutes to help solidify the butter. If you throw them in the oven now they will still be delicious but they may flatten out while baking because the butter isn't cold. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to begin baking, place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat your oven to 350°F.

9. Scoop the dough in 2 tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2″ between the cookies; they’ll spread as they bake. 

10. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt, to taste — as much or as little as you like.

11. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. I prefer 12 minutes on the recommended time scale. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving them. This is the part that is super difficult. I often times ignore this advice and proceed to burn my tongue on hot chocolate chips. Totally worth it.

Good luck keeping these around for long. Now enjoy! 

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