Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
I think what I need is someone to catch a grenade for me.
… perhaps someone to throw their hand on a blade for me.
Someone to jump in front of a train for me?
Wait. What? Clearly I have a problem. I can not stop listening to this silly song.
… and now I want people catching grenades. Please.
Actually, no. All I really need is someone to make cookies for. … and maybe someone to push a piano around Los Angeles for me. That would be… odd.
Just listen to the song… most of the words I’ve written will make more sense.
I’ve wanted to make chocolate chip cookies for weeks. For one reason or another I’ve been dilly-dallying with quinoa and scones and vegan cookies.
None of these things really removed my brain from chocolate chip cookies.
Yesterday morning I woke up and browned butter.
See? It’s literally brown. It smells just as delicious as you might imagine. The kind of delicious that you want to rub all of your body. That kind. The good kind.
Once the butter was browned, I knew there were chocolate chip cookies in my future.
I just had no idea how dang good they would turn out. I mean… seriously. I kinda impressed myself.
With browned butter and and AAANNNDDD toasted coconut, these cookies have depth.
If I had to use words to describe them (and I do have to), I would say these cookies are: nutty, toasty, chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, studded with dark chocolate, a total high five, and a pat on the back.
And they don’t bake up super flat. They have junk in the trunk… thick thighs… you know what I mean.
Make these. Catch grenades.
Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes just over 2 dozen cookies
recipe adapted from this smittenkitchen recipe
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and browned to about 3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty you like things)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup toasted coconut (I used unsweetened, but sweetened will work as well)
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On one baking sheet, spread out shredded coconut. Toast coconut for about 6 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven, place in a small bowl and let cool.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam and crackle. That’s a great sign. That means that the water is evaporating from the butter. Once the crackling subsides, keep an eye on the butter. The butter solids will begin to brown. You’ll smell the butter as it browns. Once well browned, immediately remove the butter from the flame and place in a small bowl. Removing the butter from the pan will ensure that it doesn’t continue to cook and burn in the hot pan. Allow the butter to cool for a few moments.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, measure granulated and brown sugar. Add the brown butter and beat together, on medium speed, for about 2 minutes. The sugar may still look grainy. That’s ok.
Add the egg and egg yolk and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should become silky smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat.
With mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Beat until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold in the toasted coconut and chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
Cookies can be baked immediately, or the dough can be left in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Spoon balls by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown but still slightly soft in the center. Remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an airtight container until you can’t help but eat them all. Delicious.
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I would definitely put my hand on a blade for you. But your pushing it with the catching a grenade bit.
And i wish i would push a piano all around town. Not gonna happen.
But i do love you (in a bloggerly way). You make my face crack up.
Mine came out crumbly, too. I scooped them and pressed them. They baked just fine and are DELICIOUS! That word needs all-caps.
I’d also like to know what I did wrong.
I think I may just have to bake more batches. For science.
My dough was a little crumbly too, I have had that problem in the past with the sugar I use, it is less refined and in bigger crystals than regular white sugar and I think it doesn’t dissolve as well and so leads to crumbly dough.
The cookies were still totally amazing though, I didn’t think that small an amount of coconut would be noticeable but it was the perfect tropical hint. Thanks Joy :)
incredibly dry dough, didn’t bake up very thick as advertised/uniform/pretty, baked thinner when a little milk was added to compensate for the crumbly dough, poor texture (too crispy), good flavor, easy recipe.
made a second time with better results. performs better without coconut. cook 10 min and cool completely on sheet. cookies bake up as shown if baked on cool sheets. cover dough bowl with wet paper towel to prevent desiccation. veganize with Earth Balance and EnerG egg replacer, plus no more than 2 T soy milk if needed to shape.
Oh that is exactly what the problem was! I just bought this organic sugar from Costco and it does have bigger crystals. I’m going to have to go get some regular sugar and try this again. Thank so much!
Wait! My dough was crumbly too. But I think my problem was that I waited too long after browning the butter to get to the creaming-with-sugar part…it wasn’t warm anymore so the butter-sugar-egg mixture didn’t get super silky as it should have. The flavor was delicious though, so I’m with Rosa. Better try making them again…for science’s sake.
made. nommed. yum.com/awesome
I always know I can come here for some good baking recipes. These cookies look INSANE and perfect timing since I have company coming in. But I also love coming here for the laughs… I must admit. You crack me up every time. And that song…no joke!
Oh.my.GAWD. So yum. All you had to say was brown butter. I am working on a gluten free version of this with RUM. ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOU.
Rum! That’s brilliant! Any word on how the gluten free version went? I have a gluten-free friend and am totally curious if this would work?
So far, playing with flours. When I make GF goods I sub out flours and add xantham gum, about 1 tsp per 3/4 cup. Try it! Maybe you’ll beat me to it!
I LOVE browned butter, actually, I just love butter…truth be told!! I can’t wait to try these cookies out!
Speaking of browned butter….’ya gotta’ try out these browned butter brownies….SO freaking good!!!
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/06/browned-butter-brownies/
And is it just me, or would some guy catching a grenade for you just seem a little crazy?!?! I enjoy the song, I just think that Bruno needs some serious psychological help…lol!
I am intrigued by this recipe. Especially the browned butter part. Do you think it will work it I try and brown dairy-free margarine? I’m not sure if it will taste the same never having had browned butter. What does the browning add to the flavour?
Browning butter adds… depth? I think it’s sort of like the difference between un-toasted and toasted spices or nuts : overall, similar flavor profiles, but a little more savory-ness and oomph. Did you try browning the dairy-free stuff?
I did try browning the dairy-free marg and it reduced the same as butter, but didn’t smell the same unfortunately. The cookies I made with them also didn’t taste quite right. Probably because I tried making them dairy and gluten-free in one go. I tried making a gluten-free flour version and a grain-free almond meal version. The almond meal cookies were okay but I think I’ll have to keep experimenting. Perhaps I need to just do a normal wheat and dairy version to see what I’m aiming for.
Thanks for the helpful advice withinseason.
Browned butter?!?? In cookies!?!?! Oh Joy, You’ve really outdone yourself!
I made a browned butter plumb skillet cake once, and the decadence was almost too much. (Note the “almost.” I still ate it all.)
Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum, I love brown butter.
These are my new favourite chocolate chip cookies. Awesome.
I made these last night. Everyone loved them. I don’t think anyone had less than 2 (or 3 or 4).
OH MY GOSH WATCH OUT FOR THE TRAIN!!!
I know the spider may have moved on from it’s ceiling locale but this http://www.flickr.com/photos/tahini/4031740010/in/set-72157622500391733 might solve the cat on ground and spider on ceiling problem next time your 8 legged friend shows himself.
Amazing! I made almost the exact same cookies last week. I didn’t brown the butter, though… now I know. Thanks, Joy. :)
these are absolutely my new favorite. what a great recipe!
My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe has coconut in it, but definitely not brown butter! Whoa, I know what I’ve been missing!! My sweet tooth is calling…
We are SO on the same wavelength – I was just thinking this morning that I need to bake some chocolate chip cookies, and I have some coconut in the freezer that I need to use.
Thank you so much for this recipe (and song reference – my sister just sent me the link and introduced me to the song!)
-Camille
Okay, seriously, I love all your brown-butter goodies and make them too often. But this recipe is out of control! I have made many thousands of batches of cookies in my life, but I have to give these the “BEST COOKIE EVER” title. I also added toasted finely chopped pecans. I thought I was going to die eating them. Next time, I plan to try toasted chopped macadamia nuts – you know, to go with the coconut.
Best cookies I have ever made…thank you Joy!
I’m so glad that I’m not the only one that has listened to that song more times than they care to mention! I thought I was all alone in that club :)
These cookies sound great, another for my to-bake list!
Made these yesterday and they were fab. First time I’ve browned butter too. The smell was divine.
I have made many a cookie in my days but this is the best one so far! The brown butter and coconut combo is amazing. I cut the sugar down to a scant 3/4 C of each and used 1C of whole wheat flour (with 1 1/2 unbleached) and it worked well and seemed plenty sweet. Mmmmm….so good.
Cookies with junk in the trunk? Bwahahaha!
I just made these and they are amazing! My thick thighs are doing a happy dance right now.
why did i laugh out loud reading the first couple of lines of this post? i know exactly how + why you can’t get that silly song out of your head. it’s so funny.
as for the recipe. browned butter + coconut? seriously? where do you come up with this stuff. will be trying it this weekend. because any twist on a chocolate chip cookie sounds like a fabulous idea!
You rock Joy! Found this site a few weeks ago and have been greatly enjoying both reading & baking your archives. :)
This is very similar to the awesome “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies” recipe from Cooks Illustrated, my own fallback. Can’t wait to try ‘em! For those who had crumbly dough: try forgoing the mixer if yours is cheap like mine. I use a whisk for the wet parts, which makes the dough shiny like a mixer, then I switch to wooden spoon for the rest.
I made them! That was my first experience with browning butter! Loved it. Question for you I fridged half the recipe and it is rock solid in the bowl. Should I try to roll it or scoop and hand roll? Thanks
These cookies are amazing, Joy! I made them for a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Bake Sale this weekend and blogged about it here: http://bitly.com/fWWfJt. Just wanted to share and thank you for sharing! :)
A year ago I made my sister brown butter cupcakes, to explain exactly how good brown butter is I told her it smelt so good I almost drank it. The next day she got a terrible tummy bug and said that every time she started to feel better she would imagine me drinking butter and get sick again. I haven’t been allowed to brown a single drop of butter since. I think it’s time for me to rebel, these just look too awesome…
Awwwweeesome in my best Oprah/Tarzan voice!
Saw these in my feed reader, clicked to the post, printed the recipe and tasted one of the finished cookies (and had to force myself not to eat more) all within about 1 1/2 hours. SO GOOD.
I made mine a little bit smaller (25grams each before baking – yes, I am somewhat a freak… I wanted them all the same size and didn’t have a cookie scoop) and ended up with 49 cookies from this recipe. This number is awesome for several reasons: they are just right for a snack so I don’t feel guilty, with 4 dozen I can give half away and still have more than enough to eat, the 1 extra didn’t count so I ate it and there were no calories.
I’ve been a lurker but I think this is the first time I’ve commented. Thank you for all the great food inspiration and hilarious posts!
I weigh my cookie dough aswell! It keeps them all uniform and pretty. Considering trying it next time I make cupcakes… Too far?
These cookies are awesome! I baked them for a charity bake sale and blogged about it (http://bitly.com/fWWfJt). Apparently, they were a hit! Thank you so much for sharing. I love your site!!
Absolutely delicious, thank you! Next time, I’d double or even triple the coconut :)
Joy, I’ve been following your blog for a little while now. I actually subscribed to it on Google Reader so I could keep up with your posts. I really enjoy the way you write, and your photographs. Your photos are so beautiful. I love the way you set everything up in our photos like the yellow bird in this one and the vintage photograph..so cool!!!
I like food.
I like cookie dough.
I like your blog. :)
My bucket list includes having a sweet cooking blog like yours.
But for now, I guess I will just have to stick to the eating cookie dough part!
I would like to do these recipe, but my family don’t like coconut… Can I replace it by something else? Or just don’t use it, and in this case, should I change something in the recipe? They look awesome!
you can just leave the coconut out!
this recipe rocks! the cookies (without coconut) were gorgeous and delicious! thanks again
Whoah… whoah… WHOAH. I just made these, and they were my first foray into browning butter. (Please don’t judge me. I am very angry that I waited this long to try browned butter. My goodness, it’s tasty.) These cookies bake up beautifully: warm, crusty on the bottom, but soft and moist inside, with a lovely crackled top. They are picture-perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
I just made them and OMGOSH they are wonderful! And I made them gluten-free! Can’t wait to take a batch to work tomorrow and share. Thanks for the recipe!
Now I’m going to blog about them :)
I found myself with an entire coconut the other day, one that I had had for a while and posed a what-the-heck-do-I-do-with-this threat in the kitchen. So then you posted this recipe, and I tackled that coconut and made cookies! They were a hit among my friends (no sugar for Lent for me this year), and I’ll definitely be making them again. Well done. :)
holy delisciousness these were absolutely perfect. thanks a hundred million for the recipe.
Im about to put my cookies in the oven and i will def be back to write about how great they were. My dough isnt crumbly at all and i love that you dont have to refrigerate the dough! Thanx for sharing joy
I made these Gluten Free and they are amaaaaaaaazing! Wow. Took them to work and they were a total hit.
My cookies: http://nutellaloveaffair.blogspot.com/2011/04/brown-butter-toasted-coconut-chocolate.html
These cookies are so yummy! I made some and my kids ate all of them. I had to make more just so I had some to enjoy :)
These are amazing! I’ve always thought about using the browned butter and this inspired me to do so! I will never be going back, such a step up! Thanks!
I made these today and they turned out perfect, and so so pretty!
My dough was crumbly too. We made a few using the crumbly dough and then added water to the dough to make them a bit more moist. Both ways were DELICIOUS! But the ones with the added water were more chewy. I don’t eat eggs so we used Ener-G Egg Replacer. That could have been why my dough was a bit on the dry side. Thanks for another winner Joy!
This could be the best cookie recipe I have ever come across.
These are insanely delicious and easy to make! i adored brown butter before, but this just solidified it. Thank you.
These are absolutely fab! started making them five minutes after reading the recipe….OMG the batch didn’t last long (go figure). This recipe card (yep, I still use ‘em) has five stars on it. That’s a good sign.
These are fantastic! Thanks for the recipe… so far, all time favorite. But I still have so many more of your recipes to try!!! Good job!