I used to pooh-pooh brown butter. Can you imagine? That was until I smelled it and had it drizzled over ricotta and butternut squash ravioli. Now, I’m of the opinion that everything is enhanced, made better, improved a million-fold by it’s mere presence.

The sun has been out in Seattle this week. The sun! This is a big deal. It feels like it’s all everyone is talking about. ‘Have you seen the sun?’, ‘ Are you going to get out and see the sun today.’, hope they sun’s still out when I get home’ . You get the gist.

So this week, in honour of the sun coming out, Cal and I decided to have lunch and snacks outside.

These are Mister C’s favourite cookies! The pecans are all for me though, he’ll pick them out and hand them to me with a “no like it!” and continuing foraging for chocolate. Fabulous for afternoon tea and even more fabulous if you eat them in the sun.

Ingredients

Inspired by this recipe from the little red house

• 170g butter (the amount remaining after I browned 1/2 lb butter)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 c all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 lb chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Brown Butter – Based on the Bouchon Bakery cookbook method. 

I bought the Bouchon bakery cookbook while in Napa recently and have fallen in love with their way of browning butter. It’s simple and involves a little more work but I think the results are totally worth it. If you can’t be bothered straining, it shouldn’t make too much difference.

Ingredients/ Materials

• 2 sticks/ 225 g unsalted butter
• small heavy bottomed saucepan
• cheesecloth to strain
• whisk

Place your butter in the saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Once the butter has completely melted, begin to whisk to prevent the solids from catching at the bottom. Continue whisky for about 5 minutes as the butter changes colour and the smells becomes nutty and almost caramel-like. The butter will bubble and continue to cook. Once the butter is golden brown (just pour a drop onto a white saucer to check) pour through the cheesecloth to strain. Place in a lidded container if not using immediately.

For the cookies 

Cream the (solid) brown butter and the sugars until mixed well. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Mix well for a few minutes until batter it light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk, stir to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate and pecans.
Drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet. I used a 2 tbsp. ice cream scoop.*
Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

* I also only baked half. I scooped spoonfuls onto a  paper lined oven trays and popped it into the freezer. I then pulled them out the next day and placed in ziploc bag for cookies that can be baked anytime! Just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time if you’re cooking from frozen.