So.. I’m sort of buried under notes, so you probably won’t hear from me for a bit (although, let’s be honest, on social media, you’ll probably hear from me more – procrastination at its finest). In the meantime, though, it’s time to talk about cookies. My cousin-in-law, Tristan, got me a TARDIS cookie jar for our family Secret Santa gift exchange this past Christmas, and after giving it a prime spot on the counter right next to my espresso machine, I vowed to never let it go empty. It’s now been empty for two weeks (when I ran out of these cookies), although I had been pretty good about it up until that point. Oops. Better replenish!
I want to say I haven’t replenished the TARDIS because these cookies are hard to top (which is true), but I just haven’t found the time to make cookies. I’d rather, you know, actually eat a homemade dinner, or catch at least one episode of Doctor Who. I have to have a few priorities during the hectic weeks. But these cookies.. fantastic. Browned butter, dark chocolate, sea salt, vanilla bean, coconut sugar. The perfect combination of flavors for a chocolate chip cookie.
These cookies also have a bit of almond flour that gives them a lovely nutty flavor. To make them gluten free, feel free to swap out the white whole wheat flour for more almond flour. The sea salt sprinkled over the cookies gives a nice touch, especially when you want the sweet and salty combo (pretty much always, for me). If you’ve never had browned butter in your cookies before, you’re in for a treat. The complexity it brings to the cookies is excellent, and really, the smell of it crackling away on the stove is enough to make you want to put it into everything. Add in the vanilla bean.. your nose will be thanking you.
If you’re someone who can’t have many cookies around without fear of eating them all, you can easily form the dough into balls, freeze them uncovered for about 10 minutes, then pop them in a freezer bag and pull them out as you want to bake them (bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes from frozen). I am one of these people, but the TARDIS is kind of good at keeping me in check; the signature sound plays every time you close the lid – the result of the Doctor leaving on the parking brake every time he lands.
Perhaps this weekend I’ll give myself a long enough study break to refill the TARDIS. In the meantime, though, I’ll just dream of these cookies.. and the day I’m able to watch Doctor Who again, test-free.
Are you a Doctor Who fan? Which Doctor is your favorite? I’m a sucker for 10, but 11 sure has been growing on me..
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 12 packets truvia (or another 1/2 cup coconut sugar)
- 1 egg
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal/flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- sea salt, for sprinkling
Heat the butter over medium heat in a small pan until it is fully melted and starts to bubble and make crackling noises. Continue heating until it is deep golden with brown flecks, and then remove from heat to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and sea salt.
Once the butter is cool, beat the butter with the sugar and truvia in a large bowl, and then beat in the egg and vanilla bean. Stir in the flour mixture until fully incorporated, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
Scoop the chilled dough by the tablespoon onto a parchment lined (or silicone lined) baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden. Allow to cool slightly on the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.
adapted from London Bakes