Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Brittle Cookies
Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Brittle Cookies
Milk chocolate replaces semi-sweet in this twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. Shards of hazelnut lace cookie add a salty, toffee crunch.
Ingredients
Hazelnut Brittle
- 2 oz unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
- 1.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 oz blanched hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 oz)
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips (11.5 oz bag)
Instructions
Make the Hazelnut Brittle
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Line a large sheet pan (such as a 18 x 13-inch pan) with parchment paper and spray with a neutral oil spray. Move oven rack to middle of oven and preheat to 350°F.
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In a small saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, and syrup to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour, salt, vanilla and chopped hazelnuts.
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The warm batter will be runny, which it is totally fine. Space spoonfuls of batter evenly over the prepared sheet pan until all the batter has been added. The batter will run together as it bakes which is also totally fine. Bake 10-12 minutes until the brittle is golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then break up into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Cookie Dough
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In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. The butter will sputter and foam. Keep a close eye on it. As it begins to brown, carefully stir it with a wood spoon to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the butter is a golden brown, remove it from heat. It will continue to cook and become a darker brown. Scrape the pan a few more times to make sure the brown bits don't stick to the bottom. Let the butter cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
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Add the cooled (still liquid) brown butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add both sugars and mix to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just to combine. Add the vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
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Add 1 cup of flour and allow just a few turns of the mixer to begin incorporating the flour. Add the chocolate chips and do a few more turns. Add the remaining cup of flour and do a final few turns of the mixer. Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and complete the process by hand. Add the hazelnut brittle, and use a spatula to mix the batter just until the flour is fully incorporated and the chips and brittle are evenly distributed.
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Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Chilling the dough really develops it's flavor and helps it to bake up more evenly.
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When ready to bake the cookies, move the oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. No need to oil or line your 18 x 13-inch sheet pan.
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Use a 1/4 cup or a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to space out 10-12 cookies on the sheet pan. Use the measuring cup or the palm of your hand to slightly flatten each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookie edges are golden brown and the centers are pale and just set. Repeat 2 more times to bake all the cookies OR just bake a few cookies at a time and freeze the remaining dough.
