Brown butter toasted coconut dark chocolate chip cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest from Breanna's Recipe Box and decided to try them out. The name is a mouthful, and they require a bit more effort than regular chocolate chip cookies, but they are probably worth it every once in a while.

I have never browned butter before, so I was a bit concerned about that. I used a low temperature because I didn't want to burn it, so it took probably 15 minutes to brown the butter. If I do it again, I will use a higher temperature. Here are a few photos of the butter in its various stages:

Melted and sort of separating (you can see it's more clear around the edges):

Getting foamy:

Very hot (boiling):

Cooling in a bowl, still a bit foamy, but definitely brown:

I ran into trouble toasting the coconut. My coconut was burned to a crisp in the 6 minutes Breanna recommended. My second batch I timed at 3 minutes and it was about right. Word to the wise - check your coconut often!

Breanna does a great job of giving clear and step by step instructions. I followed her recipe very closely. Here are her ingredients and instructions.

Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, melted and browned

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/4-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (start with 2 1/4)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup toasted coconut

1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper, spread out shredded coconut.  Toast coconut in oven for about 6 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place in a small bowl, set aside.

Brown your butter: Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty.  Stir frequently, scraping up any bits form the bottom as you do.  Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns.  Once butter is browned, place in a small bowl.  Allow the butter to cool for a few minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, measure sugar and brown sugar.  Add the brown butter and beat together, on medium speed, for about 2 minutes.  The sugar may still look grainy.  Add the egg and egg yolk and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  The mixture should become smooth.  Add vanilla extract and beat.

With mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Beat until just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold in the toasted coconut and chocolate chips.  Dough will be thick.

Cookies can be baked immediately, or the dough can be left in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

Spoon balls by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 10 to12 minutes, until golden brown but still slightly soft in the center.  Remove from the oven.  Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.  Eat while warm, sooo good!

I will probably wait until these cookies are requested before making them again, but I doubt that it will be too long. Scott, my 7 year old, pronounced them the best cookies he had ever eaten in his entire life. I wouldn't go that far, but I did like the flavor of the brown butter. These are also the first and only cookies that I preferred cool rather than fresh out of the oven.