Chocolate-chipless brown butter dough marbled with espresso brownie cookie dough

A brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough — minus the chocolate chips — marbled with a rich brownie-style cookie dough with a touch of espresso. Not enough espresso to overpower, just enough to deepen the chocolate and leave a subtle coffee note behind

These cookies are wonderfully rich on their own, which is why I don’t think extra chocolate is strictly necessary here. That said, if you’d like to add a few chocolate chips or chunks, the world is your oyster. I’ll include photos showing how they look baked with a few pieces pressed on top.

Few tips

• Make sure the butter is fully melted and starting to foam before it browns. This will allow your milk solids caramelize evenly. easy way to do this is by making sure your butter is evenly chopped before starting on your brown butter
• We want to use room-temperature eggs here. They blend more smoothly, especially since the brown butter will still be quite warm. Cold eggs can cause the butter and sugar mixture to seize
• Vanilla paste is slightly better than extract (richer, more fragrant flavor in cookies) , but extract works fine if that’s what you have. That is why I recommend an extra teaspoon of extract if you dont have paste
• Rotate the baking sheet halfway, but also tap it gently on the counter at the halfway point. This will encourage the cookies to spread evenly
• Keep an eye on them around the 10-minute mark. The edges should be lightly browned and the center still a bit soft. They’ll keep cooking a little on the pan after you take them out
• if your kitchen is warm, you can chill the dough for 10–15 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape, but refrigeration isn’t necessary for this recipe
  
  

Here’s a video to guide you along the process

Process

Brown Butter Marbled Cookies

Chocolate-chipless brown butter dough marbled with espresso brownie cookie dough

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 170 grams salted butter 140 grams after browning (my favorite butter for cookies is kerrygold)
• 150 grams light brown sugar
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 25 grams cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 125 grams all purpose flour for chocolate-chipless dough
• 100 grams all purpose flour for brownie cookie dough
• 1/2 tsp baking soda split
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt split

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Place the 170 grams of salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom, until it turns a deep amber color and releases a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for ten minutes
• Measure both sugars into a medium bowl. Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, add it to the bowl and mix until combined.
• Fold in the vanilla paste, egg and egg yolk until fully incorporated. The batter should thicken a little and feel creamy
• Grab a second bowl and divide the dough into two equal portions, about 225 grams each. To the first portion, gently fold in the flour for the chocolate-chipless dough, along with ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt
• To the second portion, fold in the flour, 25 grams of cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overwork the dough
• Shape the cookies by scooping out 30-gram portions of dough. For a subtle marbled effect, alternate the two doughs in each cookie, or for an easier method, simply press half of each dough together. Arrange the cookies on a lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each
• Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly browned. Around the 6-minute mark, carefully remove the pan, give it a quick tap on the counter, then return it to the oven, rotating the pan so the cookies bake evenly
• Let the cookies rest on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
• And you're done!

Keyword brown butter, chocolate chip cookies, dessert