bourbon brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Friday cookies are always a solid plan.
When I say these babies were snarfed up, I mean they were snarfed up. My usual post-lunch treat is ice cream of late, but I lacked ice cream at the time of baking the cookies, and I was not complaining at the sweet swap.
Maybe an odd thing, but I actually prefer dessert after lunch rather than after dinner. Granted, sometimes I’ll swipe at the granola or trail mix hiding in my pantry if I want a small-scale nibble. As far as the more elaborate treats go, though, midday hits better in my tummy.
What do you think: lunch-dessert or dinner-dessert? When I was a kid, I often enjoyed both. Because I was a child, and certainly not wary of the state of my health.
We enjoyed Blueberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies a few weeks ago, and now we’ve got some Bourbon Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies to adorn our proverbial cookie jars. Not a complex formula, but one with a big ole happy gut punch thanks to brown butter – a baking gem – and a hint of bourbon to further emphasis those nutty undertones.
Bring a batch to your summer BBQ and I guarantee they won’t last past appetizer hour. In fact, folks will likely reach for these before the tortilla chips and guacamole. And that’s saying something, especially coming from a tortilla chips-and-guac hoe.
Choose the Booze
I’ll start with this: the bourbon flavor is not overpowering in the cookies. Rather, it is something of a palate lift for the brown butter, which elevates the cookies beyond a standard choco chip cookie.
Browning butter takes a little attention, but it’s simple. Grab a stick of salted butter and melt over medium heat until a golden hue emerges. This takes about 4-5 minutes. When the butter properly begins to brown, the frothing and spitting noises in the pan dissipate. At that point, remove from the heat and let the butter cool about 15-20 minutes in the fridge. It needn’t solidify, just calm down from its venture on the burner.
After that, the cookie process is elementary. Whip the brown butter and a stick of softened, unbrowned butter with brown sugar and regular sugar. Beat in two eggs, one at a time, then some vanilla extract and a touch of bourbon.
Add in your flour, baking soda, and salt. If the dough seems really sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Fold in lots of chocolate chips and/or chunks with a spatula. I love combining the two, but if you only have one or the other around, all’s well.
Scoop rounded 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly with your clean fingers. Bake 10-12 minutes. After 7 minutes, if you’d like (I usually do this), remove the pan from the oven and tap firmly on the counter a few times to flatten the centers. I enjoy me a good flat cookie.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet awhile. Then, do what you want with them. Preferably, consume. Otherwise, cool completely and store for later. Be sure to sneak a warm one or two, though. 10/10 recommend.
Disclaimer: you certainly can omit the bourbon from the cookies if you’re serving to kids, but if your party is 21+, I highly recommend you proceed as directed. I may be biased in my enjoyment of bourbon, but hey. I know a good thing when I taste it.
That’s what she said?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Cookies should be called Bakies:
Lavender Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Bourbon Peanut Butter Cookies
Biscoff Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
“Screwball” Chocolate Chunk Cookies
bourbon brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips and/or chunks
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt one stick of the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 15-20 minutes on the counter.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream both butters, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and the bourbon. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. If the dough seems too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons more of flour. Fold in the chocolate chips/chunks with a spatula.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized mounds of dough and roll into a ball. Set onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through. Cool on the baking sheet – the cookies will continue to set up.
- Serve warm, or keep covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, the fridge for a week, or the freezer for 3 months.
