welcome to Club foodwhere we celebrate the best food and drink in the game. Hope you can bring your appetite.
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I tend to be picky when it comes to cookies. They’re usually too crunchy for my taste, so I usually avoid them in favor of other foods like brownies or cakes.
But I simply couldn’t resist the tempting cookie platter I was served when I arrived at Pine Canyon in late September. Pine Canyon is a master-planned luxury community and private club located just minutes from downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. There’s a variety to choose from, cleverly arranged. So on a whim, I decided to give it a try. Wow. It was perfect, with a slight crunch, delicious chew, and a great chocolate chip ratio.
As someone who messed up a batch of cookies while baking with my kids, I was intrigued. How exactly do the chefs at Pine Canyon achieve this exemplary result? Luckily for me (and you!), they generously shared the keys.
According to Pine Canyon pastry chef Sierra Proctor, the club’s cookies are a signature product that has been served since the club opened more than two decades ago.
“After a round of golf or a midday workout, members come to expect that sweet comfort, like home,” she said.
What exactly makes cookies special? According to Proctor, it is both an ingredient and a method of preparation.
“The special thing about cookies is twofold,” she said. “Using brown butter adds a rich, nutty flavor, while the technique of freezing the dough overnight keeps the cookies thick and chewy.”
The process of making brown butter is simple:
First, slowly melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan, Proctor says. Watch it foam and the milk solids turn golden brown. (As a bonus, your kitchen will be filled with a rich, nutty aroma.)
Next, pour all the butter (including the browned bits) into a bowl and let cool. At that point, you can mix it with the rest of the cookie ingredients. Check out the full Pine Canyon Cookies recipe below.
Pine Canyon’s Signature Brown Butter Cookies
raw material
-6 ounces butter, browned, cooled and softened
-4 ounces granulated sugar
-4 ounces brown sugar
-1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
-0.5 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
-8.5 ounces bread flour
-0.5 teaspoon salt
-0.5 teaspoon baking soda
-8 ounces of mix of choice (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)
route:
Beat brown butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips or other mixture with your hands.
Form dough into balls and place 4 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Cool overnight.
Bake at 325°F for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until golden brown, crispy around the edges and gooey in the center.
