Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, butter will begin to crackle and sizzle. Occasionally swirl the butter in the pan. After it stops popping, the butter will begin to brown.

Turn heat down to medium-low. You will see the milk solids turning a light brown on the bottom of the pan. Use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the milk solids and stir to prevent browning too quickly. Once the specks turn golden brown and the butter is giving off a nutty aroma, remove from the heat.

Immediately transfer butter into a bowl, being sure to scrape all those glorious brown specks from the button of the pan! Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for 10–15 minutes.

Line baking pans with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cooled butter and sugars on medium until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and vanilla paste (if using) and mix for about 1 minute.

Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. I like to stop it before the butter is fully incorporated and mix the rest by hand with a spatula. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough into balls and place on baking pans 2 inches apart. I used a medium cookie scoop that is approximately 3 tablespoons, but you can use a smaller 2-tablespoon scoop if you want. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

The dough needs to be chilled. Place baking pans in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove pans from refrigerator and bake for 10–13 minutes, until golden on the edges. The centers will still look soft, but will continue to bake once out of the oven! Let the cookies set on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.