Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons, 170 g) salted butter
- ¾ cup (160 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- ¾ cup (170 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 to 1 ½ cups (170 to 255 g) milk, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- Coarse or raw/turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. You may need to bake a second batch or use two liners, depending on how full you fill the muffin cups.
- For the brown butter, cut the butter into pieces and add to a 10-inch skillet (preferably light-colored so you can see easily when the butter has browned). Heat over medium heat, stirring as the butter melts so that it cooks evenly.
- As the butter continues to cook, constantly and slowly stir with a silicone spatula. The butter will foam, sizzle, bubble, and after a few minutes (anywhere from 5 to 8 minute), the solids in the butter will begin to turn golden. Brown butter can burn easily, so don't walk away!
- When the butter solids are browned and golden and it smells caramelly and fragrant, immediately remove the skillet from the heat and pour the butter into a bowl. Let the butter cool for a few minutes.
- For the muffins, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the brown butter and mix to combine well.
- Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and mix until evenly combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix a couple of times to begin combining the batter, but don't mix all the way.
- Add the chocolate chips when there are still plenty of dry streaks in the batter. Mix until just combined and no dry patches remain (don't over mix).
- Portion the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling the muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch. Remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.