Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Immediately after baking (and eating) these for the first time, I immediately texted my best friend to tell her that these were the best cookies I've ever made -- hands down. That's because they're different than most cookies you might consume. The brown butter is well worth the wait as it provides a nutty rich flavor that would otherwise be absent. Small hidden pockets of toffee add crunch while the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. My favorite part, though, is the flake salt. In other words, the cookie would be complete without it. This recipe is from Bon Appétit, but I replaced the chocolate wafers with chips.

Ingredients: (makes around 20)

- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 tsp.baking soda

- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- 2 large eggs, room temperature

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 2 1.4-oz. chocolate toffee bars (Skor or Heath)

- 11/2 cups chocolate chips

Toppings:

- flaky sea salt

Directions:

Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams and browns. This should take around 5-8 minutes. Pour into a large bowl after, scraping along the bottom of the pan to release all brown bits. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.

When the brown butter has cooled down, whisk together with granulated sugar and brown sugar in a stand mixer or electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture lightens and begins to thicken. Reduce the mixture speed to low and add in the dry ingredients. Beat to combine. Chop up the toffee pieces and mix in along with the chocolate chips. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F and portion out 12 balls of dough using a 1 1/2 oz ice cream scoop. These cookies will spread a little, so be sure to place them about 3" apart. Sprinkle on flakey salt and bake cookies until the edges are golden brown and firm but centers are still soft. This should take around 9-11 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat using the remaining dough -- these cookies benefit from baking a second batch rather than placing them all in the oven at once. The heat from the top and bottom of the oven can more evenly bake them. Enjoy!