Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown and cool the butter
- Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty-smelling, then pour into a bowl. Refrigerate until solid but scoopable, about 30 minutes.
Prep oven and dry mix
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment. This ensures the cookies bake evenly right after mixing.
- Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until the espresso powder is evenly distributed.
Cream butter and sugars
- Beat the solidified brown butter with both sugars until creamy. Scrape the bowl as needed so no darker sugar pockets remain.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then mix until each egg is fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine and portion
- Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, stopping as soon as you don’t see dry streaks. Overmixing can make cookies tough.
- Fold in the toffee bits and dark chocolate chips until evenly scattered. The dough should look thick and studded.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and space them on the prepared baking sheets. Press lightly to help them hold their shape.
Bake and finish
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden but the centers look slightly underdone. The carryover heat will set the middle.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately, then cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Move to a rack or plate after 5 minutes for best texture.
Notes
Pro tip: refrigerate the browned butter until scoopable—if it’s too firm, let it sit at cool room temperature for 5–10 minutes before creaming. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. For a dairy swap, use an equal amount of vegan butter meant for baking and brown it the same way (results may vary slightly).