Brown Butter Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies from "A Common Kitchen"
Makes about 24 Cookies
Ingredients:
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Molasses
1 Cup Rye Flour
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
8 Ounces Good Quality Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped *see note
Directions:
Make the Brown Butter:
In a medium-sized saucepan, add the butter and turn the heat to medium. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will start to spatter as the water starts to evaporate. Keep cooking until the butter turns a deep amber color and smells toasty and nutty, about 7-8 minutes.
Transfer the butter to a bowl and let cool completely to room temperature. If you're in a rush, place the brown butter in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
Make the Cookies:
In a large skillet, add the rye flour and turn the heat to medium. Toast the rye flour, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn, until the rye flour starts to turn a light golden brown color and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the flour to a bowl and let cool completely-- you don't want to use hot flour or else it will burn/melt your other ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350ºf and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the rye flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat the mixture on medium-high until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix again until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add all of the dry ingredients and turn the mixer speed to low and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stop the mixer and add the chocolate chunks and mix low just until combined.
Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to portion out 1 tablespoon balls of dough on the parchment paper lined baking sheet about two inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Once done baking, transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool down.
The cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you want to freeze the dough you can pop the baking tray with the uncooked balls of cookie dough (in step 5) into the freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen balls of dough to a large ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies directly from the freezer, just add 1-2 minutes to their baking time.
Notes:
*Use a good quality chocolate bar, such as a Ghirardelli 65-73% bar.
