If the combination of bittersweet chocolate and sea
salt is all you need to satisfy your chocolate craving, then this cookie is the
one for you. Plan accordingly, especially if your craving is
irrepressible; the dough has to refrigerate overnight.
3½ dozen cookies
½ cup granulated
sugar
½ cup light brown
sugar
10
tablespoons butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon
vanilla
1 cup unbleached
all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon
baking powder
¾ teaspoon
baking soda
¾ teaspoon
salt
8 ounces
bittersweet chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces
Coarse sea
salt
1. Combine
the sugar with the brown sugar in a large bowl.
2. Melt
the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Cook the butter until
chestnut brown, stirring frequently—this will take several minutes. (There
is a narrow window between brown butter and burnt butter, so watch closely.) Pour
the hot brown butter over the sugar; don’t stir. Refrigerate the mixture for
about 45 minutes.
3. After
45 minutes, beat the brown butter/sugar mixture on medium speed until light and
somewhat fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully combined. Add the vanilla and
beat until incorporated.
4. Combine
the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the
flour mixture to the brown butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Stir in
the chocolate pieces. Cover the mixture and refrigerate overnight.
5. Allow
the dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour or until it’s pliable.
6. Preheat
the oven to 350°F.
7. Line
two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Form
the dough into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Arrange the balls on the baking
sheet about 2 inches apart or 12 per baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly
with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sea salt.
9. Bake
for 14 minutes, switching baking trays halfway through baking time.
10. Allow
the cookies to stand on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before
transferring to a wire rack to cool.
