Brown butter chocolate chip cookies, with or without M&M’s, are my most requested homemade treat. They bake up with chewy centers and crisp, golden edges—perfect every time.
The past couple of weeks have been unusually stressful. We’re in the middle of house hunting: we found a place we love, submitted an offer, and now we’re stuck in the limbo of inspections, appraisals, and negotiations. It feels like we have the house and don’t have the house all at once.
I told Mike it reminds me of waiting for a baby’s arrival. We did the hard part, got the result we wanted, and now all we can do is wait and hope everything falls into place. That lack of control does not sit well with me.
So what did I do? I baked cookies. Lots of them.
Stress eating is at an all-time high in this house, and when I reach for comfort, it’s almost always something sweet. No naps for the kids? Cookies to the rescue. Laundry piled so high you want to cry? Freshly baked brown butter chocolate chip cookies will dull the sting. Andy refuses to come inside? Well, sometimes a cookie helps with that negotiation, too.
Feeding the baby while another child insists on sitting on top of both of us—yes, that scenario requires more than two hands. If I had a third arm, I’d use it to grab another cookie and breathe for a second.
Cookies really do solve everything
Aside from trying to keep up with Sunday sauce and the usual household chaos, I’ve fallen into a habit of making big chocolate chip cookies and setting them out on a cake stand like I have my life together for a moment. A few hours later the cookies are gone and all I’m left with is a greasy, wax-paper-lined stand and a sink full of dishes. No dishwasher means some days end with me eyeing the stand like The Hulk—wanting to smash it rather than wash it. Clearly I need more cookies.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
1 hour 15 minutes
12 minutes
1 hour 27 minutes
16
– 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter softened (use 1 stick for browning and remaining for creaming)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
- 3/4 cup mini M&M’s
Instructions
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Brown one stick of butter: add it to a small skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it melts and crackles; once the crackling quiets, watch for a golden-amber color and nutty aroma. Remove from heat, scrape the brown bits into a small bowl, and let cool slightly.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the remaining softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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Add the vanilla and molasses; mix until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
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Stir the slightly cooled brown butter and the brown sugar into the mixture. Beat on medium until evenly combined.
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Scrape the bowl and add the eggs, beating until the batter is smooth and homogenous.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter in one addition and mix on low until almost combined—you should still see a few streaks of flour.
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Fold in the chopped dark chocolate and mini M&M’s on low speed or by hand, until no dry flour remains and the mix is evenly studded with chocolate and candy.
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Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up—this helps the cookies bake with chewy centers and defined edges.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Using a large cookie scoop, portion the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about six cookies per sheet to allow spreading. Gently press the tops of each dough ball if desired.
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Bake for 12–13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Recipe adapted from The Joy the Baker Cookbook.
