I know that brown butter cookies are all the rage these days and toffee bits are hardly a new cookie accessory. Despite the lack of unique pairings, these cookies are quite tasty. I think most people will want to eat more than one. Deliciousness aside, this cookie recipe is for me, reminiscent. These Brown Butter Toffee Hazelnut Chocolate Chip cookies are special, representing a moment in time, a snapshot of the past.
Roughly seven years ago, I returned from living in France to start a master’s program in Michigan. Scrambling to find housing, I stumbled across a university forum where students could post updates about their apartment or roommate search. It was on this site that I found one of my flat mates, a cookie goddess who was just beginning her PhD journey. Forces combined, we managed to locate brand-new lodging not far from campus, earning ourselves four additional flat mates in the process. The house where we were lived had six bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with a fair amount of counter space (technically, two units of six bedrooms and two bathrooms. Yes, that is a lot of people. And yes, the landlord was likely making quite a lot of money).
It was during my first year of grad school that my food blog was born. As an outlet to the stress of endless reading lists, long lectures and lengthy papers, my flat mate and I spent our evenings procrastinating by concocting new recipes. My flat mate became the cookie queen, crafting new recipes to test on our house mates or her department members. We had an established baking routine. She would make the dough, give me a little to taste, and ask for my opinion. I would generally advise her to add more of whatever was in the cookie. Coffee. Chocolate Chips. Toffee. M&Ms. This experimentation fostered the birth of a wonderful cookie, similar to these Brown Butter Toffee Hazelnut Chocolate Chip cookies. It was one of her most popular cookies, requested again and again.
I’ll be honest in saying that I don’t fully remember the exact cookie composition. The original cookie might have contained coffee; it definitely had toffee and hazelnuts, although there might have been other nuts too. And the cookies most certainly had lots of chocolate chips. All I remember is that the cookies were delicious, incredibly popular and frequently requested. I also know that my Mom, an avid baker and expert cook, still asks me about those cookies to this day.
Brown Butter Hazelnut Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
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Melt the butter over medium to high heat for about 10 minutes, or until the butter smells nutty and is browned. The butter will foam before turning brown. Keep a close eye on the butter because it will go from brown to burned very quickly. When done, set aside.
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In a bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix.
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In another bowl, add the brown and granulated sugars to the browned butter. Mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix.
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Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. Add the toffee bits, chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
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Chill the dough for about an hour. Before baking, let the dough return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to brown the butter on a higher heat (somewhere between medium to high heat, depending on your stove).
- I strained the butter, but it's not required
- These cookies will taste best if you underbake them by a minute or two (total bake time will depend on your oven).
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