I did it. I dared to mess with a master baker. I took his cookie recipe and thought I could make it better.
I browned the butter that was instructed to be melted. I added in a little bit of lemon juice too (my secret for helping to create chewy cookies). And I defiantly used my preferred bittersweet chips in place of semisweet. The result… tweaking Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” cookie recipe, I think I might possibly have made the best chocolate chip cookie ever: Browned Butter- Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Dear Alton,
I’d gift you these cookies if I could…
…just so you could see how an ordinary RecipeGirl changed your chocolate chip cookie recipe into something even more amazing that you created yourself. I’d love to see the look on your face when you took a bite and realized how that browned butter really adds an element of flavor that you weren’t expecting. Oh, sure you deserve credit too… the use of bread flour and more brown sugar than white were brilliant ideas. I thank you for giving me a starting point from which to jump. The soft batter had me scared. I was sure that the chilled cookie dough would melt into oblivion… that my attempt to adapt the recipe would fail miserably, but fail it did not. These baked up into perfect little treats, and the soft, chewy nature of them remained intact. No crunchy cookies here.
This one is a major keeper, my friends 
A close second: Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This recipe can be found HERE.
45 Comments
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Good for you for playing with a master recipe. I saw that episode, and can’t believe how much detail he used with CCC. Nice touch with the lemon juice, too… you’re quite daring
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Love the looks of these. I can’t wait to try them. I am always up for a new cookie recipe!
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Yuuuuuuuuum! Way to go, Lori!
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Temptation on a Monday morning! These look too good!
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I’m always searching for the perfect Chocolate Chip cookies! I’ll have to try these!
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It is always a good thing when you can find a way to tweak a recipe because I still believe every recipe can be tweaked. I use brown butter in cooking all the time but now I am completely intrigued on how it works in baking. Plus I have new found baking confidence.
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Oh man, these look beautiful and delicious!! I’ve never tried Alton’s recipe, but since you’ve made it even better…it looks like I’ll be trying yours!
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gorgeous photos and delectable looking cookies.
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I’ll take 2 dozen please! wow these sound delicious! I want them for breakfast
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gasp! how bold of you to tackle alton’s recipe and attempt to improve it! if the look of your creation is any indication, alton has a thing or two more to learn–bravo!
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Wow!! You go girl! Alton is the man. Great cookie. I have never thought to add lemon juice to make the cookies chewy. Wht does the lemon juice do?
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I love alton brown’s chewy cookie and I can’t believe this is better! Bookmarked and I am trying this really soon!
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I’m always on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. These look amazing.
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Perfect! The browned butter is a great level of flavor for sure.
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Lori – these look fabulous! I never knew about the lemon juice though… it really makes cookies chewy & soft? Must try that sometime!
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Dear RecipeGirl,
The ultimate test would be to see how they traveled. How well they held up and how yummy they stayed after a few days of travel. Whaddya say? Lets try!
Seriously, they sound amazing! Let’s do this!
~ingrid
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These look awesome. I just tried ATK’s recipe for CC cookies with browned butter and those were pretty darn tasty.
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We are CCC fans at our house. I’ll have to give your improved version a try!
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1–I think Ingrid is just trying to get you to send her some of those cookies!
2–YUM! I know I’ll try these. I have added vinegar to ccc’s before, which I believe does the same as lemon, BUT lemon just seems tastier.
3–Can’t wait to see your blueberry bars and ice cream. And speaking of great minds thinking alike, I just made your Snickerdoodle ice cream yesterday–it was GREAT! Off to print this ccc recipe!
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I’m so glad this experiment turned out deliciously for you!
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I’m convinced that browned butter makes everything better. These. Look. Awesome!! So dark and chocolaty! I think Alton would approve.
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Oh.My.God. Will you UPS these overnight to me, purdy please?!! I’ll make you a cake next time I’m in CA, promise!
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“The Chewy” is one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. Alton’s recipe is hard to beat, but I think you just might have done it! They look fabulous! I’m drooling!
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Oh, these are awesome! If I weren’t trying to reduce my consumption of sweets, I would make these right now. I love “The Chewy”, and I love how your cookies look, so I know these would be perfect. The only change I would make is to use or go back to the semi-sweet or milk chocolate, I’m not a fan of bittersweet at all. YUM!
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WOW! Those look amazing!!!
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I’ve been wanting to do brown butter something for a long time now. These look sooo pretty, and are delicious too, I’m sure!!
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Lori, what an awesome cookie you created with the browned butter! I am delicious bookmarking this one and will try it! They look so good I am wishing I had a few right now!
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Brown butter has such a rich flavor. I bet these are incredibly delicious!
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GORGEOUS!!!! I have to try these babies!!! I love putting browned butter in recipes, what a flavor it gives them! You are fantastic!!
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oh my! these look so gooey, chewy and delicious!
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Browned butter! How clever! Sounds delicious; I’ll have to try this.
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How bold RecipeGirl! These look incredibly delicious. I love brown butter in any dish … I imagine in a cookie it would be fabulous. How creative of you!
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Freaking. YUM. You messed with the best and knocked him down, baby!
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Care to gift those to me??
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These cookies look scrumpdillilicious! I love the browned butter in them. I also love that ribbon. Everything looks perfect!
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yummm I like your version of these cookies! Nice job improving Alton’s cookie. The brown butter sounds awesome:)
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YUM! Does it get any better than this? I don’t think so!
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I’ve wanted to try a browned butter version of choc cookies for a while. They look awesome!
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Wow. Those look so incredible but I really dont think I could make them since I would eat the whole entire batch before they even cooled!
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These sound and look irresistable! I love your addition of lemon juice for chewiness- I have never heard of doing that before.
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I love that you took Alton’s recipe on. Quite a challenge but the mark of a true baker. I am looking forward to making these.
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I said I would be back and here I am. This recipe was a puzzler. Most important,it is very, very good. I would make it again and again.
Mine did not spread very much which is not a problem but following your directions on spacing, I thought it would. First batch, I only cooked for 8 minutes and they were done. In the second batch, I started checking in six minutes.
I experimented and made most of them on my regular cookie sheets and made three on or in my cast iron skillet. They were done quickly and spread out more and were more moist on the top.
Each cookie tasted great and I was stealing one, whenever I was in that direction, something, I usually do not do.
I love how beautifully the dough handled.
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You are a genius for tweaking this recipe! My husband begged me to make them (I’m not a super sweets fan), and I am incredibly happy I did. I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate and a whole 2 t pure vanilla extract (double strength) from Penzey’s spices. The cookies were miraculous 5 min out of the oven.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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I just wanted to let you know that I made these cookies and they turned out great! I love the crisp outside and chewy middle. Not to mention the taste of the kosher salt.
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