Description
These Brown Butter Scoopable Chocolate Chip Cookies feature a rich, nutty flavor from browned butter and a gooey, melty chocolate sauce center. Soft and slightly puffy with a crisp golden edge, they are baked as large, scoopable cookies with a surprise chocolate center, perfect for serving warm with ice cream for an indulgent dessert.
Ingredients
Chocolate Sauce Filling
- 6 tablespoons thick chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce that sets (store bought, such as Stonewall bittersweet chocolate sauce)
Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 & 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
Finishing
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving (6 scoops)
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate centers: Scoop 6 portions of one tablespoon of the thick chocolate sauce onto a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet. Place them in the freezer while preparing the dough to allow the centers to firm up and be easier to stuff into the cookies.
- Brown the butter: Place unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it melts, foams, and turns a golden color with brown specks on the bottom, about 7 minutes. The butter will emit a nutty, toasty aroma. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl scraping up all the brown bits. Allow to cool until warm but not hot, about 10 minutes.
- Mix sugars and eggs: Add light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until smooth and slightly thickened. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste; whisk until glossy and well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
- Make the dough: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula until just combined, ensuring no flour streaks remain, but avoid overmixing. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. The dough will be soft and slightly slick from the browned butter.
- Assemble the cookies: Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Flatten each portion in your hand, place one frozen tablespoon of chocolate sauce in the center, then fold dough over the sauce and roll into a ball, ensuring the chocolate is fully enclosed.
- Arrange in pan: Place the 6 dough balls closely together in a greased or parchment-lined 8-inch round cake pan, oval pan, or 8×8-inch square pan so that they are touching or very close.
- Chill before baking: Refrigerate the dough balls for about 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 14-15 minutes until the edges turn golden brown but centers remain slightly underdone and puffy. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Cool and finish: Let the cookies cool in the pan for 5 minutes to retain the molten chocolate center. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt to finish.
- Serve: Serve immediately topped with 6 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Scoop directly from the pan with a big spoon for a melty, gooey chocolate center experience.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure smooth mixing and better texture.
- Brown butter carefully; remove from heat as soon as nutty aroma develops to avoid burning.
- Freezing the chocolate centers ahead makes stuffing easier and keeps the center molten after baking.
- Do not overbake; the slightly underdone center is key for gooey texture.
- Serve warm with ice cream for best enjoyment of molten chocolate center.
- The dough will be soft and slick — this is normal due to the browned butter.
