Brown Butter Cowboy Cookies
Nobody seems to know where they came from, but I can tell you that they are everything you want from a cookie. Cowboy Cookies are chewy oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and chocolate. While you can use chocolate chips, I like giving dark chocolate bars a rough chop, resulting in cookies studded and streaked with different sizes of chocolate. Making the brown butter ahead of time is the only ‘planning’— if it can even be called that— but the pay-off in flavor will be worth it. Don’t forget the finish of flaky sea salt before you bake them— that subtle hit of salt mixed with the caramel-y tones of the brown sugar will send you to cookie heaven.
Makes 30 cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup rolled oats
12 oz (1 ½ cups) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
METHOD
Do Ahead: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it turns a toasted nutty brown color, approximately 3 minutes. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until re-solidified. Before baking, remove from refrigerator, 30 minutes prior and allow to soften.
Preheat oven 400F.
In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl or electric mixer, mix butter and both sugars until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Add in eggs and mix to thoroughly combine. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a wooden spoon, alternate adding oats and chocolate in thirds, starting with oats.
Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, form balls and place on parchment lined sheet pan, leaving 2-3” of space to allow for spreading. Top with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Bake 8-10 mins until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
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Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats
Great Jones ‘Holy Sheet’ Pan
KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer