Brown Butter Chocolate Chip And Double Chocolate Cookies With Caramel Center & Sea Salt

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip And Double Chocolate Cookies With Caramel Center & Sea Salt

*Adapted from Joy the Baker Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter, divided, one stick softened and the other browned (directions below)

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups AP flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 whole eggs

2 tsp molasses

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla paste (or the pods from one vanilla bean)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate

store bought soft caramel candies (about 24)

sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Brown one stick of butter by placing in a small saucepan and heating over medium heat until melted. Once better has melted it will begin to foam, move the pan around a bit to keep it from burning, and allow it to cook until foaming stops. Remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Combine the flours, salt and baking soda and mix well. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butters and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The mixture will turn pale yellow in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses and both vanillas and continue to mix until well combined.

Remove bowl from mixer stand and scrape down the sides so you have an even mass of batter at the bottom of the bowl. Remove half of batter and set aside in a separate bowl (this will be your double chocolate batter).

To the batter left in the bowl, measure and add 1 1/2 cups of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add 3/4 cup of the chopped chocolate and mix until incorporated. Remove batter from mixing bowl, wrap in wax or parchment and set in the fridge to chill.

Add the batter that you set aside to the mixer. Mix the cocoa powder into the remaining flour mix, then add to the mixer bowl and mix until just combined. Stir in the remaining chocolate, remove batter from mixing bowl, wrap in wax or parchment and set in the fridge to chill. Allow dough to chill for about 1 hour, or more if possible.

Portion the dough into rounded teaspoon sized balls and roll until smooth. Take one regular cookie dough ball and one double chocolate dough ball and make and indent with your finger or the back of a spoon in both sides so you have a pocket for the caramel. Try to place the caramel evenly between both sides, then gently roll both dough balls together so you get one large dough ball that is half chocolate chip and half double chocolate. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

When finished, chill dough again for about 30 minutes, or more if possible. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking try and bake for about 15 minutes, turning the tray once halfway through baking. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt (if desired) halfway through baking. Enjoy!