Clarified Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new and improved recipe for Clarified Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I came up with the idea years ago while tinkering with a homemade copycat of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies. Instead of using shortening, I decided to try clarified butter to see if I could get that same soft, chewy texture but with richer flavor. I was happy with the cookies at the time, but now I like a different style of cookie and have made some changes to the recipe.

Texture and Flavor

The new cookies are larger and slightly thicker. They still have crispy edges and chewy centers, but in my opinion they're a little prettier now. They're even better looking (and tasting) if made with dough that's been chilled overnight. Since the cookies are large, I keep the chips large too and call for Ghirardelli Bittersweet or Guittard Super Cookie Chips. Use whatever kind of chips or chunks you like.

Clarified Butter

Browned butter aka "brown butter" is the most popular choice for baking since it adds such rich flavor, but clarified butter has a purpose as well. Clarifying it removes moisture from the butter which gives it a more concentrated butter flavor. Since butter loses moisture and thus weight during the clarifying process, to get the accurate amount you start with a larger amount and then weigh out what you need. In this recipe, you use 75 grams of clarified butter from a starting point of 114 grams of butter. You'll also need to do it an hour or so ahead of time so that it will be completely cool.

For a tutorial on how to make clarified butter, here's a really good YouTube video by Chef Pierre. If you are just clarifying 1 stick for this recipe, it won't take nearly as much time as it does in the video.

Recipe Updates

• King Arthur all-purpose flour is my go-to for this recipe. It has a bit more protein than others, which helps provide structure for the extra butter. Bread flour also works well.
• For the clarified butter, you can use it melted and cooled or re-solidify it in the refrigerator and beat it while cold.
• Brown sugar can be light or dark.
• Nuts are optional, but the walnuts make the cookies a little chunkier and thicker.
• Chilling the dough is optional, but so worth it. The dough balls can also be frozen. If frozen, you can bake the dough from its frozen state, it will just take a little longer and the centers might be softer.

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Recipe

Clarified Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anna

Chocolate chip cookies with soft centers and crisp edges.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 large cookies

Ingredients

 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (205 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 ½ tablespoons cool or cold clarified butter (weight after clarifying**) (75 grams)
• 5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks (75 grams)
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (100 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 large egg
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups large chocolate chips, like Ghirardelli bittersweet
• ½ cup walnuts or pecans optional

Instructions

 

• In a bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the cooled clarified butter and cold butter until creamy. Add both sugars and continue to beat just until blended. Add egg and vanilla and beat just until blended, scraping the side of teh bowl thoroughly.
• By hand or using lowest speed mixture, stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
• Scoop out big gobs of dough to make 12 large heaps (about 3 oz each) and arrange on the baking sheets spacing about 2 ½ inches apart. Alternatively, put the scoops on a plate, cover and chill until ready to bake. Chilling improves the dough. It makes the cookies browner and helps them spread more evenly.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Have ready a couple of ungreased cookie sheets or hold off and chill the dough.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for for about 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and cracks appear in the center. The bake time is going to depend on the temperature of the dough, so if you chilled the dough and it is very firm and cold, it may take longer.
• Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
• An optional step which I like to do for thick cookies is to freeze the cookies while still slightly warm, then let them thaw again so that they are room temperature but the chocolate is solid. If you prefer your cookies gooey and warm with melty chocolate, definitely skip that step!

Notes

For this recipe, you'll need to start with a stick (½ cup 4 ounces/114 grams) of unsalted butter to make ⅓ cup (2.3 ounces/75 grams) clarified. Melt the butter over medium heat until it starts to separate. Skim any whey that's risen to the top, then pour into a bowl and let cool.  As it cools, the milk solids sink. Pour off the clear butter.  Save the milk solids for something else or discard. To use, weigh 75 grams of clarified butter. You can use it while it's still liquid or let it solidify, cut it into chunks and beat until creamy.

Keyword clarified butter

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