Happiest Friday everyone!! Kicking off Valentine’s Day weekend with the sweetest extra special cookies. Originally I had a whole different recipe planned for today. It’s a good one, but it still needs some work. So I’ll save it for another day, and instead, we have cookies! Maybe not exactly your typical Valentine’s Day dessert, but trust me these need to be made. Every last cookie is pretty much perfect. Speaking of Valentine’s Day, do you celebrate? I’ll be honest, it’s never a holiday I got very much into. But I do love any excuse to get dressed up, make a good dinner, and eat a rich chocolate dessert. In years past I’ve shared a lot of v-day desserts, but I’m switching things up with these cookies. They’re not a molten cake, but they’re just as warm, gooey, and delicious. I’ve actually been wanting to share these cookies for months. I had the idea back in December to make a malted milk cookie with browned butter and chocolate chunks. It’s not the most genius idea out there, but the combination of malted milk powder, browned butter, and melty chocolate chunks just sound way too good to me. I knew I needed to test them out. It took a while to finally make these, but man, I am so happy I finally did. Because they’re GOOD…they’re that cookie that everyone wants.
Two secrets to these cookies…
Browned butter and malted milk powder. I feel like the browned butter is obvious, it’s key within these cookies. I like to brown half of the butter, but leave the other half at room temp. This gives you the flavor of browned butter but leaves you with a cookie that has a great texture too. It also highlights the malted flavors. I know it’s an extra step, but the browned butter really does add so much to these cookies. In my view, it’s the extra step worth taking. Now, the malted milk powder. It’s not a usual cookie ingredient but it’s what really sets these cookies apart. For those of you unfamiliar with malted milk powder, it’s the best kept secret ingredient in the baking world. Malted milk is what is typically used to make malted milkshakes, among other things. It’s made from barley wheat and gives off a nutty flavor with a natural sweetness. It reminds me of the flavors in a toasted caramel sauce with undertones of browned butter and vanilla. It’s very subtle but DELICIOUS. It adds a layer of flavor that keeps everyone wanting more. Asher described it so perfectly, the cookies taste like death by chocolate, with notes of vanilla and an almost boozy flavor.
The details…
Like most cookies, these are EASY. Brown the butter, let that cool, then simply mix everything together, bake, eat, and enjoy. As I do with almost all my cookies, these need a tap on the counter to create that crinkly type of cookie. Just tap the baking sheet on your counter midway through baking, then finish cooking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven and tap the baking sheet once more. This step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey chocolate chunk cookie. You’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out. I like to do this with almost all of my cookies because it really does create that perfect crinkly, wrinkly cookie. It’s a method I learned from the New York Times and it’s genius.
Aside from browning the butter and tapping the baking sheet, the rest is is easy. When the cookies come out of the oven, the puddles of melted chocolate will be bubbling up and the kitchen will smell, nutty, buttery, and oh so delicious. I of course love to eat these warm, right off the pan. But first, I let them set up for five or so minutes. Then I serve them up while still warm with a sprinkle of sea salt atop. And oh my gosh, every last bite is delicious. It’s truly hard to beat a good chocolate chip cookie, but these certainly give the others some stiff competition. It’s the crinkly edges, deep vanilla flavor, and pockets of melted chocolate. Pretty hard to beat. I’m looking forward to making these cookies tonight. They make for the perfect Friday night cookie, but honestly, they’re great anytime. Oh but a quick question? Are you a milk and cookies person or do you just like the cookies? Me…I am a milk and cookies girl all the way!
Looking for other chocolate desserts? Here are a few to try: Vanilla Tiramisu Cake Healthier Baked Hot Chocolate Doughnuts 4 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Lastly, if you make these Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
