Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Keep going past the foam, scraping the bottom often, until the milk solids turn deep amber and the butter smells nutty and toffee-like — about 5-8 minutes. Pour directly into a large mixing bowl, scraping every browned speck out of the pan. Let the bowl sit at room temperature for 20 minutes — no fridge — so the butter cools enough that the sugars and eggs do not melt or scramble when they hit it.

Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, fine sea salt, and baking soda until evenly combined. Set aside.

Mix butter and sugars: Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the cooled brown butter and whisk vigorously until fully combined and the mixture looks like wet sand, about 1 minute.

Add eggs and vanilla: Add the vanilla, whole egg, and egg yolk. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns a shade lighter and feels slightly thicker.

Fold in flour: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Fold with a rubber spatula until just a few dry streaks remain — do not fully combine yet.

Add chocolate: Add the chopped dark chocolate chunks and the finely chopped milk chocolate. Fold gently until just incorporated and no dry flour remains. Stop the moment it comes together — overmixing toughens the crumb.

Portion and chill: Using a 2 oz cookie scoop (about 70-75g each), portion 14 dough balls onto a parchment-lined plate or sheet pan. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, for best flavor, color, and ripple structure.

Preheat: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F with conventional heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper — not a silicone mat, which holds heat and over-spreads these cookies.

Bake: Place 3-4 chilled dough balls on the sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. They will continue to set on the pan.

Shape and salt: The moment they come out of the oven, use a fork or the rim of a round cutter to gently nudge any wonky edges into circles — this is also when you get the ripply ring on top by swirling lightly. While still hot, sprinkle with flaky sea salt so it sticks to the surface.

Cool and finish: Let the cookies rest on the pan for several minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Repeat with the remaining chilled dough balls.