brown butter dark chocolate espresso cookies

ingredients

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1½ tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 8 oz dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped
• flaky sea salt, for finishing

let's make it

1. 01

   melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium and keep swirling until it foams, smells nutty and the milk solids turn deep gold, 6–8 minutes. scrape everything into a bowl and cool 15 minutes.

2. 02

   whisk in both sugars, then the eggs and vanilla, until smooth and a little glossy.

3. 03

   whisk the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt together, then fold into the butter mixture until just combined.

4. 04

   fold in the chopped chocolate. chill the dough at least 1 hour (overnight is better).

5. 05

   heat the oven to 350°f. scoop 3-tbsp mounds onto lined sheets, leaving lots of room.

6. 06

   bake 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look underdone.

7. 07

   bang the pan once on the counter, sprinkle with flaky salt and cool 10 minutes on the sheet.