Browned Butter Chocolate Chip-Cherry Cookies

I am told that there is a theory to food blogging that states in part:  Every food blogger must post a chocolate chip recipe sometime in their blogging career.

It seems to follow along the same mysterious lines as sudden eruptions of similar but not quite identical recipes that use the same ingredients.

And while I am certainly not immune to the later, I thought I was immune to the former.  Chocolate chip cookies are pretty much the antithesis of my cookie preferences.  They are soft, chewy, filled with chocolate, and sweet.  I prefer mine, crisp, buttery, and not too sweet.  Shortbread is my ideal cookie.

But there is a universal American truth.  An undeniable Mom & Apple Pie certainty, that chocolate chip cookies are the only cookies that are guaranteed to always be well received, no matter what the tastes of the persons involved.

It’s the American way.

As a matter of fact, back in the days when I relied upon others for my IT needs (a VERY long time ago), I use to bribe the IT crew with chocolate chip cookies in exchange for expedient service.  A tactic that has never failed to me.

So when I found myself indebted to a friend of the family for a great favor rendered, only a thank you of chocolate chip cookies would do.

Being me however… well I never really could leave well enough alone.

I wanted a chocolate chip cookie that even I could love; one with dough that could proud next to the chocolate chips.

What got me thinking was AB’s “Three Chips for Sister Marsha” Episode.  As an avid Alton Brown follower, I was intrigued by the use of melted butter.  Not a typical way to start a soft cookie which typically calls for creaming butter and sugar together to form tiny pocket of air that expand during cooking and cause the baked good to puff.  This relied upon the butter being around 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

But by using melted butter I could add flavor by browning.  Cooked over low heat until caramel colored and fragrant the butter along with the brown sugar had an intoxicating aroma of toffee. 

It was revolutionary.

And with the addition of some vanilla soaked sour cherries, the cookie was well balanced.  Sweet, chewy, chocolaty, and with just enough sour cherry for contrast.

The result: An incredibly fragrant, decadently rich, complex cookie that was well worth the effort.  A cookie that perfumed the entire house with the enticing aroma of fresh butter toffee while still retaining the simple charm of a chocolate chip cookie.

I am not sure I will be making this dough as a chocolate chip cookie recipe again, but I will definitely be making this dough.  Pressed flat, and baked until deep golden to enhance the toffee flavors this could be an elegant tea cookie more along my cookie tastes.

Either way, I think I finally found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I could love.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip-Cherry Cookies
Adapted from Alton Brown

 

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4cups  (11.5 ounces) bread flour [1]
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips)
1 cup sour cherries [2]

Pour the vanilla over the cherries and allow to stand for 1 hour.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat.  Continue to cook over low heat until the butter turns a golden caramel color [3].  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the butter into the bowl of a mixer  and add the sugar.  Mix on medium until the sugar is thoroughly coated and beginning to melt.  With the mixer still running add the egg, egg yolk and milk.  Once thoroughly combined begin adding the flour mixture in three of four parts.

Stop when the flour is well incorporated.  Do not over mix.

Using a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate chips and cherries by hand and set in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a baking try with parchment and dish out scant quarter cup portions spaced about two inches apart.  There should be no more than 6 to a tray.

Bake one try at a time until golden on the outside and just set in the middle.  About 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and slide off the trays immediately onto cooling racks.  Or onto your gas burner covers like I did.

Allow to cool completely and enjoy.

[1]  Because there is no whipped butter to provide puffiness in the cookie a higher gluten flour is required to capture the air bubbles caused by the baking soda.  All purpose flour can be used but the cookies will spread more and be flatter.
[2]  I like to use Trader Joe’s sour cherries.  Sweet dried cherries would not work well in this recipe.
[3]  The French call this noisette or hazelnut and is produced by the browning of the milk solids.  It is important to keep the flame on low because butter can burn very easily.  It is also a good idea, when pouring off the butter, to leave the browned solids on the bottom of the pan. 

Comments

[Julia/fairnymph]

These sound and look divine! Must make soon.

[Sugarplum Chicken]

Kitarra, I just found Cooking Debauchery while searching for info on cherry vareniki. Thanks for such a great food blog.

[Kitarra]

Julia,

I hope you do try them. I think you will love them! Let me know.

Sugarplum,

Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoy it!

[brilynn]

I particularly like the addition of cherries!

[Kitarra]

Brilynn,

Thank you. I am a cherry fanatic! I love cherries to distraction so that is why I made it my personalized touch on these cookies...along with the browned butter.

[Paul R]

It looks like Alton Brown's recipe made with brown butter. I've worked on a similar recipe and have a couple of thoughts. First is that the bread flour isn't there for gulten development (you don't want to develop gluten in cookies; it just makes them tough). It's there because in theory, the higher protein content allows the flour to absorb and retain more moisture.

I suspect your recipe will lead to slightly dry cookies, because when you brown the butter you lose up to 19% of its weight in water. This can be compensated for by using more milk. It will give you more chew, more moisture, and better longevity.

A small issue I have with Alton's recipe is that the baking soda is a poor leavener for anything that doesn't get baked immediately; it gives up the gas right away, and after a couple of hours of chilling in the fridge, there isn't much left. I substitute some double acting baking powder, which does some of its work in the oven, and gives you more leeway with the chilling time. Which in any case should be more than an hour. You want the dough to be really cold to keep it from spreading.

Here's a link to my version. No cherries (yet!)
http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r2108.html

[arlene]

These look quite delicious, though chocolate chips aren't my favorites either. Now, the SO--he'd walk a mile for one.