Toasted milk cookies
This recipe is based on some cookies that Jess had at a wedding in upstate New York a few years ago. The groom, a chef, made these with his cousin (also a chef) for the lucky guests. They are the right balance of sweet and salt with an extra toasty depth – the kind of cookie you never want to end. We have adapted the recipe ever so slightly, but the soul remains the same.
The depth here comes from two ingredients – brown butter and the secret, toasted whole milk powder. The latter is something you’re going to have to seek out, but it’s easy to buy good organic stuff online, and trust us, the smell when you open the oven door will be so worth it.
The more adventurous among us should try a sprinkling of Halen Môn Salty Pumpkin Spice on each cookie before baking.
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 18 COOKIES
- 225g butter
- 140g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g milk powder
- 140g soft dark brown sugar
- 280g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp Pure Sea Salt in a Finer Flake
- 225g good-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), chopped
- Halen Môn Pure Sea Salt, for scattering
METHOD
- Start by browning the butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then cook until the butter begins to foam and turn a couple of shades darker, tilting and swirling the pan so you can see the butter changing colour as it cooks under the foam.
- When the butter is browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes, remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to loosen the solids from the base of the pan. Browned butter can continue to cook for longer than you think – it’s only when it tastes bitter that it has gone too far.
- Pour the melted butter, bits and all, into a large bowl and leave to cool for an hour or so.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/300°F/Gas 2. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
- Spread the milk powder over the lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer and toast in the oven until golden. It should take less than 10 minutes, but check every 4 minutes or so as it catches very easily. When golden, leave to cool. If it’s clumped up in the oven, smash it into a powder once again.
- Using a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, whisk the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla together for 5–10 minutes until thick ribbons of the mixture form when you lift the whisk from the bowl. Add the cooled, toasted milk powder and the dark brown sugar to the browned butter and roughly mix it together.
- Whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda and finer flaked salt together in another large bowl until combined.
- Add the buttery mixture to the egg mixture, a spoonful at a time, and fully incorporate before adding the next one.
- If using a freestanding mixer, switch the attachment to the paddle. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three stages, incorporating the flour until no dry patches are visible with each addition. Add the final third of the flour by hand, together with the chopped chocolate, mixing with a wooden spoon.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. You can keep the dough refrigerated like this for up to three days. If chilling overnight, remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F/Gas 3 and line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop 50–60g/1¾ –2½oz rounds from the dough and place on the lined baking sheets, leaving at least 4cm/1½in space between each round to allow for spreading. Bake for 11–15 minutes until they are golden brown but not too crisp.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle a good amount of flaked salt or Salty Pumpkin Spice on top and leave to cool on the sheets.
Store in an airtight container for a week.
There are a few stages here, but the good news is, once you’ve made a batch, they freeze well in individual portions and you can bake them as and when needed – just add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
