Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why did I not think of this before? My favorite fruit combined with everyone's most commonly made, favorite cookie. It's almost like it's heathy right? Extremely wrong. Without a doubt, I'm sure you could easily gain a pound with all the butter and sugar in this recipe. BUT, if you have just one, I know you'll be just fine. In fact, I was more than just fine.

This has to be my favorite, simple cookie recipe in quite some time. I finally found THE chocolate chip cookie recipe I will forever use. It's own secret (which really isn't a secret...) is BROWNED BUTTER. Please, don't make another chocolate chip cookie without browning your butter. I can't tell you the difference it makes. I made one with brown butter and one without, and the contrast was incomparable. Back to the strawberries: they don't dry out and turn to mush in the oven. Rest assured, they stay in one piece, hold their form, and stay juicy, even after 10 minutes of heat.

Strawberry (Brown Butter!) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups cut fresh strawberries

Instructions: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, continue to cook until it turns golden brown. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed so that it browns evenly. Watch it fairly closely, as it can go from brown to burned quickly. When the color has turned golden, small flecks speckle the butter, and it has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and poor into your mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.

Beat the brown butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy and ddd the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and strawberries and mix until incorporated.

At this point, I refrigerate the cookie dough for at least an hour so the dough becomes firm. I made a batch without refrigerating and they turned out just fine, but I could tell the difference.

Spoon by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. And done! They do not store for more than two days with the fresh strawberries.

Eliminate the strawberries, and they are still amazing.

I brought them to my church BBQ and didn't see them after Tobi set them down.

Mmm..