These browned butter chocolate chip cookies are flecked with sea salt and stuffed with a toasted white chocolate ganache filling. They are gooey and soft days after they are baked and are the perfect dessert for any occasion.
With all of this time stuck at home, most people have some extra time on their hands, myself included. On top of keeping up with school, bullet journalling, doing puzzles, having virtual study dates with my friends, and planting all sorts of herbs and flowers, I have still had some time to get creative in the kitchen.
I can proudly state that these cookies are the perfect quarantine activity. They take at least an hour and a half to make, and use up that random bag of white chocolate chips that you have had sitting in the back of your pantry for the last 6 months.
What is a Toasted White Chocolate Ganache?
A toasted white chocolate ganache is a ganache that is made using white chocolate that has been toasted at a low temperature in the oven for a long period of time. The white chocolate caramelizes in the oven, giving the ganache a hint of caramel flavor.
The toasted white chocolate ganache is super easy to make, and does not require a special quality of white chocolate. I use Nestle Toll House which is one of the cheapest brands out there and it works just fine. #dontjudge Because the white chocolate morsels are going to be toasted in the oven and then emulsified with some cream there isn’t a huge difference between the use of different brands. Use what you’ve got.
Now that you know what a toasted white ganache is and how easy it is to make, you need to know exactly how to make the ganache. When you toast white chocolate, you want to make sure that you have your oven at a very low temperature. You want the chocolate to caramelize slowly and if the oven is too hot, you could burn the chocolate. All you need to do to toast the white chocolate is place a cup of white chocolate on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake it for 40 minutes at 250˚ Fahrenheit, stirring once half way through.
When the chocolate is done toasting, it’s time to make the ganache. Place the toasted morsels in a heatproof bowl, (They might have fallen apart a little bit, this is okay.) pour some warm cream over the top and stir until a smooth mixture forms. If it won’t come together into a smooth mixture, it’s okay to place it in the blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender. Just be careful since it is hot.
Once you’ve got the ganache made, it’s time to pour it into a silicone pan or shallow bowl and freeze it. You will want the ganache to be thick when you place it in the center of the cookies.
Making Browned Butter
Making browned butter is very easy. All you need is some butter and a saucepan. Although I would recommend using unsalted butter, if you only have salted butter, it’s not a big deal. Just don’t add the salt that is called for in the cookie dough.
When you make browned butter be sure that you keep an eye on it the entire time. It has a tendency to burn the second that you turn away. To make browned butter, place the butter in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After it melts, it will bubble a little bit and after 3-5 minutes it will turn a golden brown. At this point you really want to take it off of the heat. Once the butter starts browning, it likes to brown quickly. Pour the butter into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
When you make these browned butter chocolate chip cookies stuffed with a toasted white chocolate ganache, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! I love seeing what you are making. Also don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest so that you can find it again later.
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Toasted White Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1½ cups Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ tsp Baking Soda
- 2½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chunks
- 1 cup White Chocolate Morsels
- ⅓ cup Cream or Whole Milk (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250˚ Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the white chocolate morsels onto the pan. Toast the white chocolate morsels for 40 minutes, stirring once half way through, until the chocolate is a light golden color. Remove the chocolate from the oven and allow it to cool.
- While the chocolate is toasting, place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the butter, stirring constantly until it reaches a light golden brown and then remove it from the heat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature. (It will still be a liquid.)
- Warm the cream (or milk) until it is scalding hot. Pour the cream over the toasted white chocolate morsels. Stir until a smooth ganache forms. (You may use a food processor or an immersion blender if desired.) Pour the ganache into a shallow bowl or a silicone mold and place in the freezer to harden.
- Place the browned butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until a creamy mixture forms. (2-3 minutes) Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla, and baking soda and mix again until combined.
- Add the flour and mix until the dough is just coming together. Stop and add the dark chocolate chunks.
- Divide the cookie dough into about 30 even pieces, and roll each piece out into a 3-4 inch circle.
- Spoon about a teaspoon of ganache into the center of each cookie dough circle. (The ganache will be a little sticky, almost like a caramel or taffy even though it is frozen, this is because of the sugar content.) Pinch the circle into a ball, trapping the ganache inside. Freeze the cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough balls are freezing, preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit. Line some cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the frozen cookie balls onto the sheets and bake for 8-11 minutes or until the edges are a faint golden brown.
- The cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Notes
- I recommend using unsalted butter, but if salted butter is all that you have on hand, use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe.
- I also recommend using cream for the ganache but if you don’t have any on hand whole milk can be used, just reduce the amount of liquid from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup.
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