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Spiced Brown Butter Pecan Dark Chocolate Cookies
Author: Claudia Brick
Ingredients
  • 225 g butter
  • 290 g brown sugar
  • 2 eggs room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 160 g plain flour
  • 160 g white spelt flour (can sub in plain flour if you don't have any)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste, go for 1/2 teaspoon if you want a more spiced cookie)
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped
  • 220 g chocolate chunks
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roast the pecans for about 5 minutes until fragrant and just browned. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a small pot (ideally with a light coloured bottom) over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom, until browned - the butter will foam first and the milk solids separate out and gradually get darker and start to smell toasty. Pour into a large bowl, scraping any residual milk solids from the bottom in too - they hold lots of flavour. Give 5 minutes to cool slightly.

  3. Add the brown sugar and vanilla paste and stir with a large spoon to combine.

  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat with a spoon for 1-2 minutes until a little bit lighter in colour and really smooth and glossy.

  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and baking powder and soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir to just combine. Add the pecans and chocolate chunks and fold to combine.

  6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking - it allows the dough to stiffen so the cookies spread less. You can leave them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, but I would recommend letting the dough warm up a little from fridge temperature before baking if completely cold, as they won’t spread much at all otherwise.
  7. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  8. Scoop even balls of dough onto lined baking trays, leaving at least 4cm between cookies. Bake for 8 minutes, then open the oven door and quickly lift and tap/bang the baking tray down a few times- this helps the cookie spread.

  9. Bake for a further 1-2 minutes or until done to your liking. Leave on the trays to cool. Store in an airtight container.