the perfect homemade gift -- brown butter chocolate chip cookies

a while ago one of my co-workers gave me some old thomas the tank engine toys (trains/tracks/etc) that his daughter had outgrown. he asked me if i thought we would want them for c and i said sure. anyway, as a thank you gift, c and i made these yummy smelling and oh so tasty brown butter chocolate chip cookies for them. sure it was 2-3 weeks after the fact, but yes, we eventually got around to thanking them. c loves thomas, and so does little miss v. so it's not like one can never have too many tracks or trains. i don't think he'll really ever outgrow thomas or trains. he's your typical little boy.

below's the recipe for these yummy cookies should you be interested in making some yourself. it's similar to other recipes, but not quite. i have to say browning the butter really makes a difference. i love how they crinkle once they come out of the oven. they give you that perfect chocolate chip cookie look, and taste just as good as they look too!


chocolate chip cookies are one of our favorites! this brown butter recipe is so easy and simple, we'll be making it again soon. :)

brown butter chocolate chip cookies

ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1-3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 to 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can use milk or dark if you prefer)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° f.
2. sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set it aside.
3. in a small saucepan, melt the butter and let it sit until it browns. you'll know it when you see a golden color and your kitchen smells wonderfully sweet!
4. pour the browned butter into a mixer bowl (if you're using a mixer) or into a medium bowl (if using a hand mixer or fork -- that's my prefer method, easy cleanup!). add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. then mix in the 2 eggs. add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. then stir in the chocolate chips.
5. form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. place formed dough onto a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, about 6 dough balls per sheet.
6. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. you can rotate the sheet halfway through baking to ensure even baking if you like. i do it sometimes, other times i just skip it.
7. let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before putting them on a rack to cool completely. serve warm with a glass of milk if you like. delicious!

makes 16 (3-1/2") large cookies. enjoy and happy eating! :)