This is the last of my cc cookie experimenting. But I learned some lessons from the first chronicle. This time, to get picture perfect cookies, I made them in tart rings! (One of the comments on the first cc post suggested muffin tins to get that perfect shape.) Of course, you can make these cookies the regular way and they still taste divine.
This recipe is another of Valerie's...again using browned butter, but this time she also added cinnamon and coffee to her dough. Brilliant. (I'm beginning to think Valerie is the cc cookie queen and this time, while her cookies were beautiful, they looked like regular cc cookies and the ones I made look round and perfect. Fun to try, but a lot of bother to get a pretty photo for you.)
But back to flavor, which is what really counts, right? Well, these cookies were FABULOUS. Moist and chewy inside. Crisp on the outside. The cinnamon, coffee and brown butter make such a great flavor team that I'm never going to make another cc cookie without them. I did make one minor change. I didn't have chocolate chips, so I used some bittersweet chocolate I had left over and just broke it into smallish chunks. This recipe also requires an overnight rest in the fridge. Just to test the overnight rest theory, I made a few of the cookies right after mixing. They were good, but there's no question, the dough just works better after the 24 hour wait in the fridge.
I'd even love these without the chocolate. Is that sacrilegious?
My cookies baked in 10 minutes, so be sure to check on them.
Cinnamon and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Valerie at Une Gamine dans la Cuisine
Ingredients:
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 generous teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup tightly packed, light brown sugar (you can use dark, too)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons of strong, brewed coffee, cooled to room temp.
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
12 oz bag of chocolate chips
Method:
Place the butter into a medium-size saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the butter until melted, and browned. As the butter is cooking, use the handle of saucepan to swirl it around and prevent burning. As the butter browns, it will start to become frothy, as soon as the froth dissipates, keep a close eye on the butter. It should have a lovely nutty fragrance and the bubbles will be deep golden brown. (The browning process can take about 5-9 minutes.) As soon as the butter is ready, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon; Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (any large mixing bowl will work if you're using a hand-held), beat together the browned butter, and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth (about 7 minutes).Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and coffee (or milk, if using). Beat on medium speed to combine.On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, beating just until they're incorporated into the wet.Use a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours.
When you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. [You want it soft enough to scoop.] Preheat the oven to 375 F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Measure out about 1/4-cup of dough per cookie, and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2-inches of space between each mound of dough. [Valerie's Note: Because I'm neurotic about everything being neat and tidy, I rolled the mounds of dough into balls and lightly pressed each one down with my palm. I don't think this necessary, but don't feel bad it you're as twitchy about free-form circles as I am. My note: I rolled them in balls too, then pressed them into the center of a tart ring.]
Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown. [Valerie's Note: My cookies were perfect after only 12 minutes. My note: my cookies were done in 10] Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. [Note: Don't worry if the centers look under-baked. They will firm up as the cookies cool off.]
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