Rainy Day Brown Butter Cookies with Sea Salt

Is there ever too much of a good thing? 

As in too much rain when overcoming a drought?  Nope!  Sunny Southern California became wet, slippery and miserable this past weekend and instead of trying to get from point A to B, I opted to forego errands and stayed indoors to test a new 'copy-cat' recipe from a bakery called Brown Butter Cookie Company. This bakery is located in the central coast of California in the small seaside town called Cayucos. Nothing like a rainy weekend to keep you indoors and inspire one to bake!       

Before & After!

 This recipe has been on my radar: brown butter cookies with sea salt. 
The taste is more than a bit of heaven, each bite cloud-like, very airy and so aromatic with amazing nuttiness! The butter makes them delicate and very soft.

The butter is browned until you see those lovely small brown bits and slightly burnt milk fat! 

 TOOLS
1 − 2 qrt saucepan

measuring spoons and cups

mixing bowl

standing mixer with paddle attachment

rubber spatula

parchment paper

2 cookie trays

small cookie dough scoop

2 cooling racks

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

 fleur de sel sea salt for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in the sauce pan over medium-low heat, swirling, keep a close eye on it. The butter will begin to foam, then clarify before your eyes turning into a beautiful carmel rich brown color with the most amazing nutty aroma. 

This is what you want. 

Turn off the stove and pour the browned butter into a heat proof container and chill in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hrs.  It must be cooled to work on the next steps or your dough will be too soft.

Pour brown butter into a medium bowl and stir in brown sugar and vanilla. In a small bowl whisk together flour and baking soda an add mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on medium low till all ingredients form the consistency of dough.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

 Form small ball shapes with the cookie scooper and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden. 
Don't over bake or they may get very dry and crumbly. 

Makes about 2 dozen round cookies. 

So go ahead and give this recipe a try as it only requires a few basic ingredients I'm sure you'll have in your pantry. I promise you won't have to run to the grocery store in this wet weather!!!

Stay dry!

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jacques Torres

Arguably the best chocolate chip cookie recipe according to the New York Times when they printed this recipe a few years back from Jacques Torres, master pastry chef. Food bloggers have been raving about this cookie over and over and the peeps eating them! 

These cookies are a dream if you are looking for a crunchy outside and soft center. First of all the sprinkling of sea salt on top before the cookie is baked is what makes these cookies so special. It provides the perfect marriage of sweet and salty. Secondly you must let the dough chill for at least 12 hrs and no more than 36 hrs. I wait exactly 24 hrs then bake, plan ahead and be patient, it's well worth it!

Here's how they are made:

INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp coarse salt

1-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1-1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 lbs bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao

sea salt
2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour
1-2/3 cups bread flour

TOOLS

2 cookie trays

parchment paper or non stick baking mat

mixer with paddle attachment

small cookie scoop

plastic wrap

wire rack

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. 

3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for minimum of 12 hours. Dough may be used in batch, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

4. When ready to bake, preheat over to 350 degrees. 

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 

6. Using the cookie scoop, scoop equal amounts of dough onto baking sheet (my small cookie scoop is about 1 tbsp of dough and the size of baked cookie is about 3" round). Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 17-19 minutes. 

7. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10-15 minutes to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm! 

Makes about 5 dozen cookies!