The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. MAKING BROWN BUTTER - Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. (Optional - cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces to melt it more easily). Melt the butter in the saucepan while stirring occasionally. When it has melted and starts to bubble, use a spatula to stir the butter mixture more frequently to prevent milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2. Keep heating the butter until it stops bubbling. After a while, you will see white milk solids at the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking the butter and stirring, until the milk solids turn a dark golden brown. This will happen very quickly once the milk solids turn light brown in color first, so keep stirring and don’t leave the pan unattended at this stage, to prevent the butter from burning.
3. As soon as the milk solids turn dark golden brown, pour the butter into a measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature (ideally about 75°F)
4. When the butter is at room temp., add just enough water to make 1 cup of liquid. (About 1 - 2 tbsp)
5. Place the melted and cooled butter and water into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl for a hand-held mixer). Add both sugars, salt and vanilla, and mix on low - medium speed ONLY until the butter-sugar mix becomes emulsified (creamy), smooth, and just a shade lighter (see pictures in post). It's important NOT TO INCORPORATE air into the mix, and to have the mixture smooth. DO NOT MIX TOO MUCH, if you add more air, the cookie dough will end up needing more flour and have a cakey texture.
6. If the butter and sugar do not form an emulsified mix, DO NOT WORRY. Adding the eggs will help.
7. Add the eggs, and mix until just mixed through. The cold eggs will bring the temperature of the dough down as well.
8. In a separate bowl - sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Add the flour in two additions while the mixer is on the lowest speed. This is to prevent the flour from flying everywhere and making a mess, and also to prevent the dough from being over-mixed. The flour doesn’t have to be completely mixed in before adding more.
9. When most of the flour is mixed in, add about ⅔ of the chocolate chunks/chips, and mix on low speed until the chocolate chunks/chips are mixed through. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and let the mixture rest for at least 15 minutes, ideally 30 minutes, covered. IF the dough is too soft, let the dough rest in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up a little.
10. Using a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough out onto a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Don't worry about spacing, as this is just to chill the cookie dough first.
11. Place the remaining chocolate chips / chunks on top of each of the cookie portions. These will give the pools of chocolate as the cookies bake. It's easier for the chocolate to stick to the dough while it's still soft.
12. If you want to bake the cookies right away, you can do so (but the cookies will spread thinner). But for best results, I'd recommend covering the sheet pan with plastic wrap and letting the cookie dough chill overnight (or at least 1 hour).

Baking the cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 6 cookie dough portions on a half sheet pan, evenly spaced apart.
2. Optional - sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top. (I use Maldon salt flakes)
3. Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes. I like to bake the cookies for 14 minutes for a chewier texture, and 12 minutes for a softer result.
4. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for about 10 - 15 minutes. Then carefully place the cookies on a wire rack and let them cool down more.
5. The cookies are best eaten a little warm, but can be enjoyed at room temperature too.
6. To warm the cookies, put the cookie on a microwavable plate and microwave for 10 - 15 seconds. The cookie should be a touch soft, and just slightly warm (NOT hot!).

To store the cookies

1. Unbaked cookie dough - place the chilled cookie dough portions in a gallon-sized ziploc bag or an air-tight container, and store in the freezer. When you're ready to enjoy them, remove portions of cookie dough from the freezer and bake for 14 - 17 minutes at 350°F.
2. Baked cookies - place some tortillas on the bottom of an air-tight container. Place one layer of chocolate chip cookies on top, followed by another tortilla, and then another cookie layer. Repeat with all the cookies (using 2 - 3 tortillas). Replace the tortillas every 2 days or so (when the tortillas look like they are drying out). Cookies can be kept up to 5 days at room temperature. For best results, warm the cookies in the microwave a little before eating.