Brown Butter Hojicha Earl Grey (Printable)

Nutty brown butter meets roasted hojicha and fragrant Earl Grey in these aromatic treats with crisp edges and soft centers.

# What You Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter

→ Dry Ingredients

02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
05 - 1 tbsp hojicha powder (roasted green tea)
06 - 2 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground from 2 bags

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 large egg yolk
11 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

# How To Make It:

01 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, hojicha powder, and ground Earl Grey tea leaves until thoroughly combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth and creamy.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until flour is incorporated. If using white chocolate, fold in gently until evenly distributed.
05 - Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for enhanced flavor development and texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop chilled dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, spacing 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers remain slightly soft.
09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The brown butter creates these incredible caramel notes that make people ask what's different about these cookies
  • You get this sophisticated tea flavor without being overpowering, perfect for people who think they don't like tea in desserts
  • The texture is everything chewy centers with crispy edges that make them impossible to stop eating
02 -
  • Don't rush the brown butter process, but also don't walk away, it goes from golden to burned in seconds
  • Grinding your Earl Grey leaves in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle makes a huge difference in flavor distribution
  • The chilling step isn't optional, it prevents the cookies from spreading too much and develops the tea flavor
03 -
  • If your brown butter seems too hot when you add the sugars, let it cool for another 5 minutes or you might scramble your eggs
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate much better into the butter mixture, so take them out about 30 minutes before you start baking
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