Last year, I attempted Cook's Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from the May 2009 issue. The cookies turned out really well (note the positive comments from my cookie taster friends) even though I didn't quite follow the recipe. A few weeks back, I decided to give the cookie recipe another go, but this time that I would actually perform the recipe's most critical step — browning the butter — instead of just melting it as I had done the first time.
The difference in the result was amazing — the cookies had this amazingly rich, caramel and butterscotch-like flavor to them that I don't think I have ever experienced in a cookie. The first time I made these cookies without browning the butter I thought they were rich and had caramel undertones, but wow, actually browning the butter made such an impact to enhance these cookies. To brown the butter, I used an All Clad skillet and heated the butter for much longer than called for in the recipe — maybe 7 minutes instead of the 1 – 3 the recipe indicated it would take. I also recommend baking the cookies until they look completely set because if you follow the recipe's baking instructions (just until the edges are set, and centers are still soft), the cookies seem way too underbaked, at least for my taste.
So, brown that butter! And let me know if there are other baked goods that would benefit from this technique!
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