Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the absolute BEST chocolate cookies I've ever made (or eaten for that matter).  A few months back I was enjoying a glass of rose champagne on a Venice beach cottage patio when the conversation about chocolate chip cookies got serious. Buck Ellison (the handsome mastermind behind Deck Towel) pulled out the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated and showed us their recipe for chocolate chip cookies which included nutty brown butter versus standard room temp butter. The recipe below is an adaptation of that Cooks Illustrated recipe.

Want to take things to the Next level?
 Sprinkle each dough ball with some flake sea salt before baking.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients  1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.5 ounces) 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5.25 ounces)  1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Method 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line half 2 sheet trays with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared sheet trays, 8 dough balls per tray.

[Do not bake cookies this close together - I was scooping and freezing for later use]

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.