Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 & 3/4 to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

Heat a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and let it completely melt. Once the butter is completely melted (see notes if you would like to brown the butter), remove from heat and add sugars and whisk together until completely smooth and no longer grainy at all. It should look smooth like dark caramel. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to allow to come to room temperature before adding the eggs.

Stir in vanilla extract and eggs and mix until it is completely combined.

Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. Check to make sure the cookie dough isn’t too warm before adding the chocolate. If the cookie dough is too warm, it will melt the chocolate. If it is warm at all, I suggest covering the pan and placing it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and fold in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. You can chill for 24-48 hours if you prefer. If you chill the dough for 24 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour (to make it easier to scoop and to be less crumbly).

Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a cookie scoop and place 3-ounce chocolate chip cookie balls on light-colored baking sheets. The dough may be slightly difficult to scoop so I suggest using a cookie scoop. Roll into balls (make sure they look smooth) and press several chocolate chips or chunks on the top of each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until a light golden color. Do not over-bake! The cookies will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet once removed from the oven.

Form and shape your cookies after baking. After removing from the oven, take a spatula and press the edges toward the center to form a perfect circle, or take a glass slightly larger than the cookie and place it on the top of each cookie and just move it around the cookie until a perfectly round circle is formed.

Chef’s Note:

To brown the butter, melt butter over medium-low heat. The butter will go through different phases. It will begin to melt and bubble. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and stir often and around the sides of the pan. Let the butter melt and watch for it to begin changing colors from a creamy yellow to a deep amber yellow.elt butter over medium-low heat. The butter will go through different phases. It will begin to melt and bubble. Take a wooden spoon or spatula and stir often and around the sides of the pan. Let the butter melt and watch for it to begin changing colors from a creamy yellow to a deep amber yellow.

The butter will begin to foam and this is why it is important to stir often so you can see what is going on below the foam. Small brown bits will begin to form and that will be a signal that the butter is officially browned. Butter can burn quickly so watch carefully. It is better to pull off of the heat a little early instead of browning too long and risk burning it.

Recipe from Modern Honey