Andrew Rea Of 'Binging With Babish's Master Cookie Dough

Name: Andrew Rea Of 'Binging With Babish's Master Cookie Dough
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12 - 18
Ingredients: 1 c. (225 g.) brown butter, room temperture; 1 1/4 c. (275 g.) packed light brown sugar; 2/3 c. (128 g.) granulated sugar; 2 2/3 c. (320 g.) all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp. kosher salt; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tbsp. finely ground coffee; 12 to 16 oz. of "stuff" (chocolate, nuts, chips, pretzels, etc.)

By Andrew ReaPublished: Dec 14, 2023

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preview for Binging with Babish's Andrew Rea Reveals His Secret To Making The Best Holiday Cookies

Yields:

12 - 18

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

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Excerpted from BASICS WITH BABISH: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park. Copyright @ 2023 by Andrew Rea. Photography Copyright © 2023 by Evan Sung. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

"This recipe’s name, derived from the Master Sword of Nintendo’s Zelda franchise of video games, offers its same balance of agility and versatility in mixed fantasy combat. Moreover, it offers one of the more customizable and reliably awesome medium format cookie experiences, the lava-like dough forming a wrinkly caramelized shell around a molten interior, and to a user-defined degree depending upon its size.

Browned butter emphasizes the toasty, savory sides of sweetness, and refrigerating the dough further deepens the cookie’s complexity as moisture evaporates and flavor compounds meld. Toward its conclusion, however, the more observant recipe follower might notice that in lieu of anything so stoically familiar as chocolate style chips or varied nuts, we’ve called for twelve to sixteen ounces of “stuff.”

No, we are not referring to the electric-white layer of crystalline sugar paste sandwiched between the wafers of an Oreo—though we may be referring to Oreos themselves. You see, “stuff” can be whatever you want it to be. Should chocolate chips or walnuts be a part of that “stuff”? Absolutely. Should chopped chocolate, pecans, macadamias, or even something crazy like white chocolate? Go wild. Should candied peanuts, toasted oatmeal, crushed candy bars, toffee bits, caramel popcorn, kettle chips, raisins, craisins, blaisins (dried blueberries), yogurt pretzels, breakfast cereal, movie theater snacks, sprinkles, marshmallows, toasted coconut flakes, candied pineapple, and of course, chopped up Oreos—all at once? Let your petulant, confused, overexcited inner child-monster go absolutely apeshit with the mix-ins, and get ready to be the most popular kid in cookie class."

Tried this recipe? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!

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Ingredients

1 cup
(225 g.) brown butter, room temperture
1 1/4 cups
(275 g.) packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup
(128 g.) granulated sugar
2 2/3 cups
(320 g.) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp.
kosher salt
1/2 tsp.
baking soda
1/2 tsp.
baking powder
1 Tbsp.
finely ground coffee
12
to 16 oz. of "stuff" (chocolate, nuts, chips, pretzels, etc.)

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat the oven to 375°. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Begin creaming at medium-high speed. Continue mixing until the butter becomes soft, aerated, and fully combined with the sugars, 1 to 3 minutes.
2. Step 2Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the mixture is homogeneous. Start adding the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
3. Step 3In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground coffee. Whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add all at once to the butter mixture then mix at low speed until the batter is just combined. Overmixing the dough at this stage can result in unwanted gluten development.
4. Step 4Combine the dough with the mixins of your choice. Once again, avoid overmixing the dough. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 2 ounce mounds using an ice cream scoop, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, ideally up to 3 days.
5. Step 5Remove dough from the refrigerator, uncover, and arrange eight dough balls on the baking sheet with room to spread. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown and set around the edges. Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.