Brown Butter Waffle Crunch Cookie

Brown butter, chocolate chunks, crushed waffle cone, and a soft caramel pressed on top

prep time: 25 min

cook time: 12 min

Brown butter waffle crunch cookies with chocolate chunks and a soft caramel center - Hungry Mockingbird

I’ve been eating a lot of ice cream lately, and wanted to find a new way to use the waffle cones I keep inhaling.

I’ve noticed for a lot of people trying cookie recipes can be a hit or miss, so read through the tips below — they will help you master any brown sugar based, chocolate chip esque cookie.

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From the Kitchen

1. When using melted or brown butter, always let it cool. Not cold, but as close to room temp as you can get. It should still be loose and liquid. A big reason cookies over spread or just turn into a greasy liquidy mess is typically the butter temperature.

2. Chill the dough. A lot of people kind of came for me because I freeze my OG dough for 15 minutes, stating that you chill cookies for flavor and can’t shortcut that, and while chilling for flavor is true, it also is important for texture. Both matter. Even a quick chill helps the flour hydrate and keeps the dough from melting out in the oven. BUTTTT this recipe is not one I’d suggest shortcutting.

3. Pull your cookies out earlier than you think. If you want that chewy, bendy center, the edges should be set and the middle should still look a little soft. They will finish cooking on the sheet as they cool.

4. Let them cool fully on the tray. The carryover heat sets the sugars and finishes the bake. Moving them too early can make the centers collapse.

5. Pay attention to your pans. Dark pans brown the bottoms faster while light pans bake more evenly. If your cookies burn on the bottom, it might not be the recipe at all.

6. Bake two tester cookies first if you’re still nervous and have the time. It lets you check spread, salt, chocolate amount, and texture before committing the whole sheet.

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Why This Works:

Cooled brown butter creamed with both sugars for a shiny, chewy cookie, a proper chill so the dough holds its shape, and jagged waffle cone pieces plus a soft caramel on top for crunch and gooeyness

Brown butter waffle crunch cookies with chocolate chunks and a soft caramel center - Hungry Mockingbird

Brown Butter Waffle Crunch Cookies

Serves 12 cookies

Ingredients

Wet

  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar 111g, packed
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 108g
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Dry

  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp all purpose flour 161g
  • 1 tsp baking soda 2g
  • ½ tsp kosher salt 2g

Mix Ins

  • 1 bar semi sweet chocolate chopped into chunks + slivers
  • ¼ cup crushed waffle cone not crumbs, small jagged pieces
  • ½ salted caramel candy per cookie Werther’s soft caramel, or similar

Instructions

  • Brown the butter: I like using the high heat method. Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat while whisking constantly. Once the milk solids start turning a toasty brown, turn off the heat but keep whisking and pull the pan off the burner. Let the residual heat finish the browning for about 20 to 30 seconds. Pour the butter into a heat safe bowl and let it cool to room temperature while you prep your chocolate chunks and crush your waffle cone pieces.
  • Cream the butter and sugars: Once the brown butter has cooled, add it to a bowl with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream them together until the mixture looks lighter in color and slightly fluffy. This step dissolves some of the sugar into the fat which helps with spread and chew and gives you that shiny cookie top.
  • Add the egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla until the mixture becomes glossy and smooth. It should look almost like loose natural peanut butter — that shiny pourable texture you see at health food stores.
  • Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the flour is just starting to incorporate. You should still see a few streaks of flour. The mix ins will finish the job.
  • Fold in the chocolate and waffle cone: Add your chopped chocolate and waffle cone pieces. Gently fold them in until evenly dispersed. Do not overmix.
  • Portion the dough: Scoop the dough into two ounce portions, which is about three tablespoons each. You should get twelve cookies. Place them on a tray and chill for thirty to forty five minutes.
  • Preheat and prep: Heat your oven to 325°F. Give each cookie at least two and a half inches of space on all sides so they can spread properly.
  • Add the caramel topping: Right before baking, press half of a soft caramel candy into the top of each dough ball. Add a small piece of crushed waffle cone on top as a little preview of what is inside.
  • Bake: Bake for ten to twelve minutes while keeping a close eye on the caramel. You want the cookies to look lightly golden in the centers with slightly darker edges. They will continue to cook on the sheet tray so pull them while they still look slightly underdone. If the caramel turns dark brown it has overcooked. Aim for it to stay its original golden color.
  • Cool and enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the tray for at least ten minutes so the caramel can settle and the centers stay chewy. Serve warm for maximum gooeyness.
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