Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter (for browning)
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ cups (255g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (or a mix)

Instructions:

  1. Brown the Butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, until foam subsides and milk solids turn deep amber brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl to stop cooking.
  2. Cream Sugars: Whisk the warm browned butter with both sugars vigorously until well combined and slightly lighter in colour.
  3. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
  4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Mix Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix!
  6. Fold in Chocolate: Gently fold in the chocolate chips/chunks using a spatula.
  7. Chill Dough (Crucial Step): Cover the dough and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally 48–72 hours, to develop complex flavour.
  8. Preheat & Scoop: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into balls (approx. 3 tbsp each) and place 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake: Bake for 10–13 minutes. Cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still look slightly underdone/puffy in the centre.
  10. Cool & Rest: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they will set up during this time). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.