While I know changing anything about an America’s Test Kitchen is madness, as they test everything 1,000 ways to find the very best methods (and don’t worry, I did retain their unusual stirring method!), I am quite pleased with the results from replacing nuts with freeze-dried strawberries. Chocolate and strawberry is always a good combo, and the browned butter rounds out an irresistible cookie!

Thick and loaded with things!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup lightly crumbled freeze-dried strawberries, measured after crumbling (or, if you must, chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts)

Place one oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line to baking sheets with parchment and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and set aside. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into tablespoon-sized chunks and place in a large heat-safe bowl, then set aside.

Heat the remaining 10 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until melted, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the melted butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty scent. Pour the melted butter over the 4 tablespoons of butter in the large bowl and stir until evenly melted.

Whisk in the sugars, salt, and vanilla.

Add the egg and yolk, whisking until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds.

Let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk a further 30 seconds, rest another 3 minutes, and repeat the whisking and resting a further 2 times. Allowing the sugars to melt into the butter like this apparently adds a bit of a toffee flavor to the finished cookie, and by the looks of it also works some extra air in (lightening the color) while it cools a bit.

Using a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips and strawberries, again stirring until just combined.

Divide into 16 portions, each roughly 3 tablespoons in size, and place on the lined baking sheets, about 2″ apart.

Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the pan halfway through, 10-14 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown, with set edges but soft centers, then repeat with the second pan. I cooked my first batch for 12 minutes and they weren’t burnt, but were more baked than they had to be, and my second batch for 10 minutes which was just right with the oven I was using.

12 minutes total

10 minutes total (and I was out of parchment)

Let cool on the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (or eat warm, who are we kidding?!).

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lightly adapted from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 15th Anniversary Edition.

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup lightly crumbled freeze-dried strawberries, measured after crumbling

Place one oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line to baking sheets with parchment and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and set aside. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into tablespoon-sized chunks and place in a large heat-safe bowl, then set aside.

Heat the remaining 10 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until melted, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the melted butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty scent. Pour the melted butter over the 4 tablespoons of butter in the large bowl and stir until evenly melted. Whisk in the sugars, salt, and vanilla, then the egg and yolk, whisking until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk a further 30 seconds, rest another 3 minutes, and repeat the whisking and resting a further 2 times.

Using a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just combined, then add the chocolate chips and strawberries, again stirring until just combined. Divide into 16 portions, each roughly 3 tablespoons in size, and place on the lined baking sheets, about 2″ apart. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the pan halfway through, 10-14 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown, with set edges but soft centers, then repeat with the second pan.

Let cool on the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.