Two Day Brown Butter Cookies with Homemade Toffee

48 hours 20 mins Prep Time

20 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

These are my absolute favourite cookies and I always come back to the recipe time and time again. Yes, they take two days but if you are short on time, you can make them after a couple of hours of refrigeration -- there will be some compromise on the potential flavour development you get from prolonged refrigeration. Alvin Zhou made this recipe from the Tasty team, but after several testing rounds, I have found useful tips and tricks to get the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

If you give this recipe a shot, make sure to post up your creation on Instagram and tag @tastetoronto and @sweettreatbaker!

Ingredients

Toffee

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup (165 grams) light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Water, as needed

Cookie Dough

1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (330 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
6 oz cacao chocolate (150 grams) 50-70% cacao, chopped
Flaky sea salt

Directions

Two day Brown Butter Cookies with Homemade Toffee

15 Steps

Step 1

Make the toffee: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2

In a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt, stirring until evenly incorporated. If there are grainy lumps or if the fat starts to separate, add a couple splashes of water and stir vigorously to emulsify. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 290°F, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 3

Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out slightly with a spatula. Freeze until ready to use, about 30 minutes.
Step 4

Make the cookie dough: Add the butter to a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns dark brown and smells nutty. Watch carefully so the butter does not burn. Remove the pot from the heat.
Step 5

In a large bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugar, espresso powder, salt and baking soda.
Step 6

Pour the brown butter into the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Don’t worry if it looks separated.
Step 7

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk and vanilla. Pour into the sugar and butter mixture and whisk until glossy and smooth.
Step 8

Add the flour and fold with a rubber spatula to incorporate until the dough has no visible flour streaks.
Step 9

Remove the toffee from the freezer (it should be a frozen disc) and break it into chunks that will fit inside a gallon zip-top bag. Double bag the toffee and seal both bags. With a rolling pin, break the toffee into small pieces.
Step 10

Fold the crushed toffee and chopped chocolate into the dough until evenly distributed.
Step 11

Using a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 - 1/2 cup (65 gram) measure, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap the baking sheet in plastic wrap, but leave a small opening at the corner of the tray. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 36 hours. This will allow the flavor to develop and the dough to dry out a little as it rests, which will result in less spread when it bakes.
Step 12

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 13

Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space between the cookies and away from the edges of the pan.
Step 14

Bake until the cookies are golden brown with crispy edges, but are still slightly soft in the center, 18-20 minutes. If cookies are not spreading in a circular shape you can physically shape the cookies by pressing around the edges of the cookie with a knife when they are pulled out of the oven.
Step 15

Immediately sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt. Let cool completely. The cookies will be very soft at first but will set after they are fully cooled.