Ori’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

After weeks of trialling, tweaking and eating far too many cookies in the name of research, I think I’ve finally perfected my chocolate chip cookie recipe. The secrets are browned butter, two rounds of refrigeration and dark cooking chocolate for that extra hit of melted chocolate. It’s a little more effort than your average cookie recipe, but I promise it’s worth it.

A little background

I’ve been trialling new recipes for the past few weeks and wanted to start sharing some of my favourites here. I work from home whenever I’m not travelling, and there’s just something about having freshly baked cookies in the house that makes everything feel a little cosier.

A warm cookie and a cup of tea at my desk in the afternoon genuinely makes working from home about 100 times better. It’s one of those small things that instantly makes a house feel more homey.

After quite a few batches, I think I’ve finally got these exactly where I want them.

The first secret is browned butter. Browning the butter gives the cookies a rich, slightly nutty, almost caramelised flavour that you just don’t get from regular butter.

The second is refrigeration, twice. First, I refrigerate the browned butter before making the dough. Then, once the dough is finished, it goes back into the fridge again before baking. Yes, it requires a little patience when all you want is a cookie, but it really is worth the extra effort. It helps create that perfect combination of crisp edges with a thick, soft and chewy centre.

And finally, dark cooking chocolate. Alongside all the chocolate chips in the dough, I add a chunk of dark cooking chocolate to each cookie for an extra pool of melted chocolate when you break into it while it’s still warm.

A little bit of extra effort, a lot of chocolate and a house that smells incredible. Make yourself a cup of tea and eat one while it’s still warm. 🍪☕️

Ingredients

226g unsalted butter

100g granulated sugar

200g light or dark brown sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

313g all purpose flour

10g cornstarch (approx 2 teaspoons)

5g baking soda (approx half a teaspoon)

3g salt (a pinch of salt)

30ml milk

270g semi sweet chocolate chips

Dark cooking chocolate, cut into chunks

Flaky sea salt, optional

Directions

1. Brown the butter

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until it begins to foam and turns golden brown with toasted brown flecks at the bottom. Once it starts smelling rich and nutty, it’s ready.

2. First refrigeration

Pour the browned butter into a bowl and refrigerate for around 1 hour, or until hard. This takes a little extra time, but don’t skip it. It’s one of the secrets to the texture and flavour of these cookies.

3. Make the cookie dough

Once the browned butter has chilled, combine it with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the egg, extra egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until everything is combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients

Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Gently mix everything together until a dough begins to form. Try not to overmix it.

5. Add the chocolate

Fold in the semi sweet chocolate chips.

Add the 30ml milk at the end while you’re combining the chocolate chips. This helps everything come together and makes the dough easier to mix.

6. Second refrigeration

Cover the finished cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 1½ hours before baking. You can leave it for longer if you have the time, and the dough can even stay refrigerated for up to 3 days.

It requires a little patience, but this second refrigeration really is worth it.

7. Shape the cookies

Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into cookie dough balls.

Add a chunk of dark cooking chocolate to each cookie. This is one of my favourite parts because it melts as the cookies bake and gives you that extra hit of gooey dark chocolate.

8. Bake

Place the cookie dough balls onto a lined baking tray, leaving enough room between them to spread.

Bake at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes.

The edges should look set, but the centres should still look slightly soft when you take them out. Don’t wait for the middle to look completely cooked because the cookies will continue to set after they come out of the oven.

9. Let them rest

Leave the cookies on the baking tray for a few minutes after baking. If you like, finish them with a little flaky sea salt.

Then make yourself a cup of tea, eat one while it’s still warm and enjoy that melted dark chocolate. 🍪