Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes just over 2 dozen cookies

recipe adapted from this smittenkitchen recipe

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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.

Red Plum and Browned Butter Skillet Cobbler

inspired and adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook

makes 1 10-inch cast iron of cobbler

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1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons  (10 Tablespoons) salted butter, browned

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3 medium ripe, red plums sliced into eight slices, or 2 cups of fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt and brown the butter.  Since cast iron is black bottomed, and you can’t see the butter browning, be sure to keep a close eye on it, and remove the butter from the pan as soon as it browns.  If you keep the butter in the hot cast iron, it may continue to cook and burn.

Let just a smidge of butter remain in the cast iron pan to act as a non-stick agent.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the milk.

Whisk in the melted butter.

Add the batter to the prepared cast iron skillet.

Arrange the plum slices around the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes, until slightly golden and bubbling.

Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of sugar.  Return the pan to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking.  Remove pan when a cake tester inserted in the cobbler comes out clean.

Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.  Store covered, at room temperature for two or three days.

Browned Butter Fresh Blueberry Muffins

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

makes 12 glorious muffins

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7 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

For the Topping

3 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Keep an eye on the butter.  Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan.  The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that.  Keep a close eye.  Remove from heat.

Whisk milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.  Add the brown butter and stir to combine.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl  Add milk and butter mixture all at one and stir gently to combine.  Gently but thoroughly fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.

To make the topping combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.