Browned Butter, Cacao Nib, and Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies
aka the cookies I've been making on repeat for the last three months
I have been baking off batch after batch of these cookies since March and I’m not mad about it in the least. The first rendition of this recipe was the second thing I baked post-Marco because I had a serious need for freezer cookies. I tested, I baked, I ate. And then, we loved them so much I did it all again. (With a few tweaks, of course.) Then, we had some friends who had a baby so I made them a batch, and they loved them so when another friend had a baby a few weeks later, I had to make them a batch too. All this baking cookies for friends had me wanting more of these cookies, so I made myself another batch. It was all very If You Give A Mouse A Cookie-ish.
All of this to say, these are really great chocolate chip cookies. They’ve been tested ad nauseam (you’re very welcome) and possibly, after you make them, you’ll never want any other cookie.
about the cookies
This recipe started with a cookie recipe that Alexis Dunlap created in partnership with Vermont Creamery. (Side Note: If you love cookies, you should be following Alexis on Instagram.) They were just a classic chocolate chip, but they featured a little créme fraîche. It got me thinking about adding thick, interesting dairy to cookies—we do it for tenderness and moisture in cakes all the time, so why not cookies— and I started playing around. First with yogurt, then with sour cream, and finally I landed on ricotta.
Over each test, I adjusted sugar ratios, played with different flours, and experimented with mix-ins. This was my final product, very classic with just a few subtle layers of flavor built in. I love the nuttiness that the browned butter and buckwheat flour add, the crunchy, roasted cacao nib bits, and of course the ricotta which makes the cookies both chewy and pillowy (can I say that about a cookie?) at the same time.
And of course, feel free to adapt. No buckwheat or rye flour? Use 100% all purpose, or incorporate a little spelt or whole wheat. No ricotta? Try yogurt, sour cream, or créme fraîche. Not into cacao nibs? Leave them out or fold in some chopped toasted nuts.
browned butter, cacao nib, and ricotta chocolate chip cookies
makes: 16 cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 170g) browned butter
1/4 cup (50 g) olive oil
1 1/2 cup (320 g) brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (30 g) rye or buckwheat flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 T whole milk ricotta
1 vanilla bean, scraped
8 oz chopped dark chocolate
2 tbsp roasted cacao nibs
Flaky salt, for finishing
Procedure:
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook, swirling occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, until butter is nutty and fragrant and little browned flecks appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine brown sugar, sugar, olive oil, and browned butter. Mix for about a minute, until mixture is well-combined and sandy in texture.
Add the egg, egg yolk, ricotta, and vanilla bean paste from scraped pod and mix for 1-2 minutes, until emulsified.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined and no flour streaks remain.
Add the chopped chocolate and cacao nibs and mix once more until evenly dispersed.
Using a large cookie scoop, divide dough into portions and place dough on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven 350° F. Place chilled cookie dough on a pan with about 2” of space between them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaky salt, and let cool on the pan completely.
and a new blog recipe
In case you missed it, these Goat Cheese Swirl Brownies made their appearance on the blog last week. They are fudgy and tangy and everything you want in a good brownie.
A final P.S.
I will be resuming my paid subscribers starting on June 1st and we will be back to our weekly emails! Yay! I have so many fun new summer recipes, brand new deep dives, and other fun things to share with you and I’m so excited to be back! If you are able to consider becoming a paid subscriber, I would endlessly appreciate it. Your support allows me to spend my time creating new and exciting recipes and I’m so so thankful for all of you!