Chewy, brown butter cookies loaded with rich, creamy chocolate chunks, toasted, crunchy nuts, bits of buttery, golden toffee and finished with delicate sea salt flakes.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me… 12 freshly baked cookies.
You can skip the Lords a leaping and maids a milking. All I want for Christmas is cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. If you send me cookies every day until Christmas you can be my true love (just kidding husband if you’re reading this). But you will be my new best friend.
It’s mid-December and time for me to share my second seasonly inspired cookie recipe. For this week’s post I took an epic twist on classic chocolate chip cookies. Oh you know by adding brown butter, loads of chocolate, chewy toffee bits, and roasted almonds. Basically all of the most delicious ingredients rolled into one unforgettable cookie.
My favorite holiday candy is English toffee. Aka buttery, chocolatey, nirvana. I remember getting to do the “cracking” as a little girl and sneaking in a bite here and there (okay there were a lot of bites going on). The English toffee I grew up enjoying was a layer of the most buttery hard toffee, topped with a layer of creamy smooth chocolate, and finished with a generous sprinkling of crunchy roasted almonds. Although, I am allergic to tree nuts so my mom always had to make a special batch sans nuts for me. Which generally meant I got more to myself. Score.
When I made these cookies of course I also made a separate nut-free batch for myself. Because you know, I had to make sure they were edible. I may or may not have eaten the entire batch without sharing. They’re that good you guys.
These cookies are simple to make, but here a few tips to ensure they come out just right!
When browning the butter, constantly swirl the butter over medium heat until it is a dark golden brown and releasing a nutty aroma. Remove from stove and pour into a heatproof bowl. Place butter in the fridge and let it alone until it again has the consistency of room temperature butter. (Using melted butter will change the consistency of the cookies).
To save time, I recommend roasting the almonds while the butter is hardening up. I roast almonds dry, on a cookie sheet, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for approximately 15 minutes. Once roasted to perfection, let the almonds cool before chopping into pieces and tossing into the dough.
The key to these cookies is allowing the dough ample time to chill. Not only does this prevent spreading, it actually significantly improves the flavor. By letting your dough rest you are allowing all of the flavors to marinate and infuse the dough. By the next day, your dough will have developed an even more complex, nutty, delicious flavor!
There you have it! The only thing complex about these cookies is the flavor. They are a cinch to make (much easier than the actual candy), which makes them ideal for putting into your holiday cookie tins and sharing with all your loved ones.
So have yourself a very nutty Christmas now.
Recipe
*Makes 24 cookies
2 3/4 cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/8 cup (225 g) dark brown sugar
1/4 + 1/8 cup (75 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks (or chips)
1 cup roasted almond pieces
1 cup toffee bits
Sea salt flakes for sprinkling
1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Heat butter in a skillet over low to medium heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and produces a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat proof bowl. Place bowl in fridge and chill until it solidifies. You want it to be the consistency of regular room temperature butter, not refrigerated. If it gets too hard in the fridge, bring it to room temperature before moving on.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add vanilla; beat until well combined.
5. Add first egg, followed by second egg, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated.
6. With mixer speed on low, gradually stir in flour mixture until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chunks, nut pieces, and toffee bits.
7. Roll dough into a 12-inch log and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough overnight.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with a baking sheet inside.
9. Cut log into 1/2 inch slices and place onto a second baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.
10. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
