Recipes Desserts Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies Gramercy Tavern Chocolate Chip Cookies 4.7 (6) 6 Reviews These giant chocolate chip cookies, flavored with brown butter and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, are perfect for sharing. By Karen DeMasco Karen DeMasco Karen DeMasco is the executive pastry chef of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants ABC Kitchen, ABC Cocina, and ABCV. She won the 2005 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef for her work at Tom Colicchio's restaurant Craft and is the author of the 2009 cookbook The Craft of Baking. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 20, 2024 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: CEDRIC ANGELES Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 8 Karen DeMasco, Gramercy Tavern’s executive pastry chef, serves these giant chocolate chip cookies at the restaurant along with a cold glass of Chocolate Malted Milk. Brown butter creamed with sugar lends nutty depth to the cookies. The cookies feature three kinds of chocolate — white, milk, and dark — yielding pools of sweet and bittersweet melted chocolate. Make sure to re-soften the butter at room temperature after chilling it in the freezer to make certain it will cream well with the sugar. After baking, avoid moving the cookies until they are completely cool — despite their large, hearty nature, they are especially delicate fresh from the oven. Frequently Asked Questions Can I add nuts to these chocolate chip cookies? Yes! Adding 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts would be a great addition to these cookies. Toast them beforehand to ensure they’re extra flavorful. What can I use instead of a 5-inch cookie cutter? If you don’t have a 5-inch cookie cutter, use a cereal bowl to shape the cookies in step 5. Invert the bowl over each cookie, and proceed as directed. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen At Gramercy Tavern, Karen DeMasco uses Valrhona chocolate: 70% dark chocolate, 40% milk chocolate, and 33% white chocolate. If Valrhona is not available at the grocery store, order it at valrhona.com, or choose a high-quality eating chocolate such as Lindt or Ghirardelli. Make ahead The flattened cookie dough portions may be frozen on a flat tray. Transfer frozen portions to a ziplock plastic freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), softened, divided 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 11 3/4 ounces) 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract 1 (4-ounce) milk chocolate bar, chopped (about 3/4 cup) 1 (4-ounce) white chocolate bar, chopped (about 3/4 cup) 2 (4-ounce) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), divided 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) Directions Melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter starts to foam and turns brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately pour into a heatproof and freezer-safe glass bowl; cover and chill in freezer until solidified, about 30 minutes. (Alternatively, chill in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.) Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Whisk together flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside. If brown butter becomes hard after chilling, soften at room temperature. Beat softened chilled brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and remaining 1/4 cup softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce mixer speed to low; add flour mixture in 2 additions, beating until just incorporated before adding the final addition, about 45 seconds total. Add milk chocolate, white chocolate, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate; beat until just combined, about 15 seconds. Preheat oven to 375°F. Portion and shape dough into 8 (6-ounce) balls (about 3/4 cup each); arrange dough balls about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (4 balls per baking sheet). Gently flatten each ball to about 3 inches in diameter (about 1 inch thick), using the palm of your hand and smoothing the cookie’s sides. Chill cookies on baking sheets in refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes. Evenly top cookies with remaining 6 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate. Bake cookies in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time and rotating halfway through baking time, until cookies are set (won’t leave an indentation when lightly pressed with a finger) and lightly browned around the edges, 12 to 13 minutes. (For more uniformly round cookies, while cookies are still hot, place cookies, 1 at a time, inside a 5-inch cookie cutter; use a swirling motion to move the cookie around inside the cutter to smooth cookie sides.) Smooth any unmelted chocolate on cookie tops using the back of a spoon, and sprinkle cookies evenly with flaky sea salt. Let cool completely on baking sheet, about 30 minutes. Serve cookies with chocolate malted milk, if desired. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, July 2024 Rate It Print