National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day - Thursday May 15th

I am constantly tweaking things about myself.... I can't ever same to just do something the same way. 

I am usually a super black and white person, a rule follower through and through. I can tell you the speed limit on any given road. If the instruction manual tells you to do something, that is the way it must be done. And by golly, if there is a "Do Not Enter" sign, you might as well go straight to jail if you henceforth "enter". My husband gets so annoyed by me. He's a complete rule breaker. 

BUT when it comes to things about myself, or things I'm in control of, I tend to want to always change it up. My son's schedule - I change it all the time because, well, I must not be doing it right. When I run - I'm always trying some new routine (intervals, speed up and run as fast as I can, something to save me from the boredom of running on a treadmill). And when I make these brown butter molasses sea salted chocolate chip cookies (our absolute favorites around here), I like to tweak it just a bit. Again, my husband gets totally annoyed. Ha

This time, I tried a twist on the original by swapping out half of the flour for whole wheat flour (the texture is incredible and has a hint of a nutty flavor that really compliments the brown butter), using superfine baking sugar (it really helped the browned butter and sugar to cream together), and I swapped out my trusty Mexican vanilla for Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla. The flavors were rich yet mellow enough to add such a great flavor complimenting the molasses! YUM!

The Nielsen-Massey Vanilla is great for a cookie like this one when you don't want the flavors to compete. If you know me, you know how much I'm in love with Mexican vanilla.. I'm usually always stuffing it under everyone's noses, forcing them to sniff how amazing it smells, and it tastes just as great in dishes. But it can also overwhelm the recipe. This Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla is sweet and creamy and the perfect addition to a complex cookie such as this one. 

In order to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, Nielsen-Massey has been kind enough to offer to give someone a free bottle of the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla! If you want to have your own bottle for making Brown Butter Molasses Sea Salted Chocolate Chip cookies and celebrating National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on Thursday May 15th with me then just leave a comment below!  Contest will close on Saturday, May 17th at midnight. I'll pick a winner randomly at that time. 

**Nielsen-Massey supplied me with a sample 2 ounce bottle of vanilla for review, however recipe, opinions, and content are my own. 

Browned Butter Molasses Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Print Recipe here

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups superfine baking sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark molasses, not blackstrap

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp. Nielson-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks

sea salt for sprinkling on top of cookies just before baking - Don't skip this step!!!

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until foam disappears and butter has a nutty smell, the color being light golden. Remove from heat. Allow to cool while you mix together the brown sugar. 

2. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3. In a medium sized bowl, mix the superfine sugar and molasses until no large molasses clumps remain. 

4. Pour the melted butter in a bowl of a mixer. Add the homemade brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

5. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Lightly sprinkle each ball with a couple flecks of sea salt to help bring out the chocolate flavor. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning.