Ginger + Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

November 16, 2012

ginger + brown butter chocolate chunk cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine

Oh, mid-November with your cadet blue skies, indecisive sun and smouldering nostalgia.

The Buttered Pine Cone, Lemonatry, The Kitchen Cardigan, Ah Choux, Northern Noshings...these were just a few blog names that I tossed around in my head before landing on une gamine dans la cuisine (waaay back in the spring of '09!).

Sometimes I wish I'd gone with something more simple (and perhaps less coy?).

But I'm not always simple and I can be, at times, coy. So I'm content with the name. It's become an extension of me, an homage to a mischievous childhood nickname that was pliable enough to extend its flour coated + brownie-stained fingers into adulthood. I hope that everyone who follows along with me, new and old, feels a certain sense of familiarity when they visit. The visage may have gone through several changes but at its caramelized heart, une gamine has always maintained an unadulterated love for sugar, carbs, butter, lemons and copious amounts of chocolate chip cookies.

There shall be more. Many, many, more.

ginger + brown butter chocolate chunk cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine

I'm no longer going to rationalize my need to make chocolate chip cookies. It's here to stay. I've tried tossing it aside, but with its boomerang arc, escape is futile.

In my defense, I do try and change things up for you with each recipe...

This time I used fresh ginger to heat things up. The ginger is rubbed into the sugar, lemon zest style, before merging with the classic contenders--flour, brown sugar, vanilla, and oh yes, brown butter. I also threw in 2oz of chopped unsweetened chocolate (because I ran out of dark and because unsweetened chopped chocolate makes chocolate chip cookies insanely decadent!).

This recipe stands on its own so I'm not going to score, rank, or label it with a numerical value. Just know that the cookies are thick, spiced, chewy, Massive, and cosy. They're the sort of cookies that one would expect to see wrapped up in crinkly wax paper, resting alongside steaming cups of coffee, on any outdoor table of any given bakery.

Truly, Love is a warm chocolate chip cookie.

ginger + brown butter chocolate chunk cookies :: une gamine dans la cuisine



Ginger and Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
makes about 11 large cookies

what you'll need
11 Tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, that's I Tablespoon)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling (optional but highly recommend)

method
Melt 10 Tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan (set the remaining 1 Tablespoon aside). Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until the butter turns brown and develops a rich nutty aroma- about 5-8 minutes, depending on the heat. {Note: The butter will go through a "foamy" stage, once it settles down, keep a close watch on the colour.} Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the granulated sugar and fresh ginger. Use your fingers to rub the ginger into the sugar until it's slightly moistened and fragrant; Set aside. {Note: If you're using ground ginger, just toss it in with the dry ingredients.}

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar (and ground ginger, if using instead of fresh). Add this mixture to the bowl of granulated sugar/ginger. Whisk to combine. Add the cooled brown butter and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat on med-low until you're left with something that resembles clumpy, wet sand.  Add the egg and beat on low until just combined. Switch over to a large rubber spatula and fold in both chopped chocolates.{Note: My batter was a tad dry, but once I started forming the dough into cookies, it became more cohesive.}

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. For each cookie, measure out about a 1/3 cup of dough. Form each into a ball, place on the cookie sheet, and flatten slightly (to a little less than 1/2-inch thickness). Once all the dough has been measured out, cover the sheet with plastic wrap and chill for about 12 hours. {Note: The longer you chill the dough, the better the flavour!}

When you're ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place about 4 cookies on the sheet--leave about 1-inch of space between each cookie. Sprinkle with a little bit of Fleur de sel (if using). Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden in colour. {Note: My cookies were perfect after 9 minutes.} The cookies may look uncooked in the middle but they will firm up as they cool. Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for about 8 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 


recipe adapted from Top with Cinnamon

34 comments:

  1. How can you ever rationalize the need to make cookies? It's a way of life!

    I can't wait to make these and gobble them all up! Although I should really be putting these aside for holiday gifts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Terrific! Ginger is such a great addition...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's 8:00 on a Friday night, I'm about to leave to pick up a teenage daughter from the movies, and I'm seriously considering making these cookies tonight. Where you lead, I will follow, Valerie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, love is a warm chocolate chip cookie! With 1 tablespoon of vanilla, I have no doubt that these are a winner! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Holy always love your cookies! Valerie, you make cookies look sinfully incredible!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Valerie! These are wonderful flavors in a chocolate cookie and your recipe sounds like one I want to try very soon ;-) I wonder if the name buttered pinecone is still available??!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Whatever you do, keep the chocolate chip cookies coming!

    ReplyDelete
  8. We never need a reason for cookies! They are a necessity for life~ : ) These look amazing. I would love to try them with the ginger!

    Danielle xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh wow these look delicious, I have to make them I love ginger and chocolate together :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Chocolate chip cookies are always welcome in the kitchen and I love that you try so many different recipes for them! These look absolutely perfect for fall, for cozy evenings and christmas parties. I simply cannot wait to make them :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Please don't apologize, these look amazing on so many levels! And I love the idea of incorporating the fresh ginger with the sugar that way!

    ReplyDelete
  12. They look amazing and love the methodology to them - from the sugars/ginger, how you add things in, the ordering of ingredients; they're not as 'standard' as typical choc chip cookie recipes, i.e. cream the butter/sugars. They definitely have a twist. And 1/3 c dough AND the 400F oven, also fun twists. Love how big and fabulous they look. And your love of CCCookies!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a fabulous combination with the ginger, chocolate and sea salt! I cannot wait to make these myself!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love that you've added ginger! what a spicy way to kick these up.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice twist on a classic cookie Valerie! I do like ginger, not sure of the lure for brown butter yet as it always reminds me of browning my butter too much as a kid :) I'm sure these cookies are delicious and I loved to share a stack with you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Valerie, I think Ah Choux is brilliant! Hahaha :)

    Ginger and brown butter are two very strong flavours. But I have no doubt in my mind that the two flavours go well together - the spiciness of ginger and the toastiness of brown butter...so splendid! I'd love to have a batch of these now in my cookie jar!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oooh, The Kitchen Cardigan, I like that! Although I also love your coy side :) These cookies look incredible!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think this cookie is the most amazing cookie I have ever seen in my entire life. Yep, that's a bold statement but what a true statement. Wow!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ginger and chocolate are perfect partners and that photo of the cookie with a piece missing is just genius with all that chocolate oozing out. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  20. These look amazing and very addictive. I know that I could never eat just one!

    ReplyDelete
  21. oh my gosh these sound absolutely amazing! i adore chocolate chip cookies as well, and these will need to be made soon! i cannot believe all the wonderful flavors you packed in here!

    ReplyDelete
  22. AMAZING cookies!! Love the combination you put together. Your house probably was the best smelling one on the block!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. You had me at brown butter! These cookies look amazing and I absolutely adore the flecks of salt adorning the top of them. As for your blog name, I think it's a wonderful choice; it's personal and has a great story behind it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sometimes I just need a sweet break and only a cookie can calm my craving-I'd love a few of these tonight, Val xx

    ReplyDelete
  25. All is missing is a cup of coffee... Those cookies are very cute! :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love the ginger and chocolate combo! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  27. These cookies look like heaven! So thick chewy, chocolatey and gooey - I am in love!

    ReplyDelete
  28. No need to rationalize yourself why the need to make cookies, it's the law, cookies have to be made on a regular bases.
    These cookies sound amazing Valerie, perfect for a cold November evening.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I can't imagine this space being called anything else now, though you came up with some creative names. My options weren't so catchy when I was considering names for my blog.

    Love the cookies and love the light on the third image.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Do chocolate chip cookies really need any rationalization? ;) These are just wonderful...love the flavors here!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Love that you used ground ginger! I'd assumed it was going to be candied ginger but ground is even better. And I'm so glad you settled on the blog name that you did - it fits your perfectly :-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. I can see why this works.
    Ginger and chocolate are a good combo.
    And yes, your blog has grown (a lot) you should be proud :-)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I don't know the last time I smelled anything so wonderful as a tablespoon of vanilla stirred into hot brown butter.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

une gamine dans la cuisine © All rights reserved · Theme by Blog Milk · Blogger