"Are there any more cookies?" my sister asked.
"Nope, it's all gone already," I replied casually.
"Aw man, I was craving for some." There was a tinge of disappointment.
I think the conversation went something like that. This was a few days after the caramelised white chocolate double chocolate cookies in my last post had been all gobbled by me and my family. At around the same time, I also discovered that I had some Valrhona 36% Caramelia milk chocolate in my fridge that would spoil by the end of July (gasp!). So I decided that I would make cookies again, to use up the idle chocolate and to satisfy my and my family's cookie cravings.
I wanted flavours that would pair well with the nutty, caramel notes of the Valrhona Caramelia milk chocolate. I decided that browned butter was an obvious choice, since it typically lends a rich nutty flavour to baked goods. For those of you who may not know, browned butter is butter that is cooked over heat until it reaches a dark, golden brown and smells like caramel. It is one of the most delicious things ever, and I felt that using browned butter in place of regular butter in these cookies would up the flavour ante.
I was also toying with the idea of adding malted milk powder (such as Horlicks) to the cookies to make malted cookies. In my mind, the combination of flavours seemed to go well together – the nutty browned butter, the milk chocolate, the toasty earthy flavours of malted milk powder. And to finish things off, I added macadamia nuts to add more textural interest to the cookies. Needless to say, these cookies were deliciously moreish, the wonderful union of sweet, salty, nutty, toasty, with crispy edges and chewy middles.
These are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, while they're still warm, with a glass of cold milk.
Oh, yeah. Deliciousness.
Browned Butter Malted Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies
Roughly adapted from "BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts" cookbook
Yields approximately 39 cookies
Ingredients
285 g (1 1/4 cup) unsalted butter
250 g good quality milk chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used Valrhona 36% Caramelia)
150 g macadamia nuts, chopped into smaller pieces
360 g (approx. 3 cups) all-purpose flour
80 g malted milk powder, such as Horlicks
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
180 g (3/4 cup + 2 Tbs) light brown sugar
120 g (1/2 cup + 2 Tbs) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)
Method
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Cook the butter over a medium heat until browned and caramelised, stirring all the time. Be careful not to burn the butter, or else you would have to start over.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda and baking powder together.
In a separate bowl, whip the butter, sugars, vanilla, salt and nutmeg together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Crack in the eggs one at a time and continue beating until smooth.
Fold in the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed. Then, fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped macadamia nuts.
Divide into approximately 39 cookies using an ice-cream scoop.
Line up the cookie dough balls on a tray lined with parchment paper and cover with cling wrap. Let the cookie dough balls chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight. This is an important step as the cookie dough needs to be cold to prevent them from spreading too much in the oven. Alternatively, at this stage, you could also place the cookie dough balls in the freezer and freeze until solid. Then, store them in labelled freezer bags or a freezer-safe container for up to two months (this way, you can bake cookies anytime you have a craving!). Bake the cookies straight from the freezer, adding one to two minutes to the total baking time.
To bake the cookies: Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking, leaving 2 inches in between them. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes.
Cool on baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Preferably enjoyed warm with a glass of cold milk. Keeps well in an airtight container for up to a week.