Brown Butter Hojicha Earl Grey Cookies (Print Version)

Sophisticated cookies combining nutty brown butter with roasted hojicha and aromatic Earl Grey tea for a unique Japanese-British fusion treat.

# 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
06 - 2 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground

→ 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until foaming subsides and milk solids turn golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, hojicha powder, and finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves in a medium bowl until uniformly combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled brown butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until well incorporated, then add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and emulsified.
04 - Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until flour disappears. Gently fold in white chocolate chips if using, being careful not to overwork the dough.
05 - Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for minimum 1 hour or overnight to allow flavors to meld and texture to firm, which prevents excessive spreading during baking.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
07 - Scoop chilled dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, spacing 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden while centers remain slightly soft.
09 - Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The brown butter creates these incredible caramel notes that make people ask whats your secret
  • Two types of tea give you this sophisticated flavor profile that feels fancy but comes together easily
  • These cookies strike that perfect balance between crispy edges and chewy centers
02 -
  • The butter should be completely cooled before mixing with eggs, or youll end up with scrambled egg pieces in your dough
  • Grind the Earl Grey tea finely enough that it incorporates well, but avoid turning it into powder that might become bitter
  • These cookies continue cooking on the hot baking sheet, so removing them while centers look slightly underbaked is the secret to perfectly chewy results
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily, so take your eggs out about 30 minutes before baking
  • If your dough feels too soft to scoop after chilling, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before portioning
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