Ingredients:

  • 280g all-purpose flour
  • 10g cornstarch
  • 5g baking soda
  • 5g fine sea salt
  • 170g unsalted European-style butter, melted and cooled
  • 150g dark brown sugar, packed
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 10g pure vanilla bean paste
  • 225g semi-sweet chocolate chunks
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together 280g all purpose flour, 10g cornstarch, 5g baking soda, and 5g fine sea salt in a medium bowl. Note: Whisking thoroughly ensures the baking soda is evenly distributed so you don't get soapy spots.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 170g melted and cooled unsalted butter with 150g dark brown sugar and 100g granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture looks like wet sand and starts to lighten slightly.
  3. Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 10g pure vanilla bean paste to the butter mixture. Whisk until just combined and smooth. Note: Don't overmix here; we don't want to incorporate too much air.
  4. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula. Stop when you see just a few streaks of flour remaining. The dough should look thick and glossy.
  5. Dump in 225g semi sweet chocolate chunks. Use the spatula to fold them in until they are evenly distributed. Note: Hand chopped chocolate is better than chips because the uneven sizes create pools of chocolate.
  6. Scoop the dough into 55g balls and place them on a parchment lined tray. For the best flavor, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
  7. Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle with 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for at least 10 minutes until they firm up enough to move. This carryover cooking is essential for the fudgy texture.