Chocolate Chunk and Hunk Cookies (Use this if you have a lot of holiday chocolate laying around.)

This seems to be the thing I make around Easter or any holiday where I have a ton of chocolate laying around and it needs to be used up. In general this is also just a really good chocolate chip/chunk recipe to use. Browning the butter, dark brown sugar and vanilla bean paste instead of extract, makes these just a tad better than the usual recipe.

• 1 cup browned butter (1 cup is 2 sticks. Instructions for browning will follow. You can use salted or unsalted. If you are using unsalted, add a few more sprinkles of salt to the dough.)
• 1 cup brown sugar (I prefer dark but light is fine too.)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (I know vanilla paste is stupidly expensive and you can't swing that all the time but if you have a couple extra bucks, go for it. It really elevates the flavor.)
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• About 2 cups of chopped up chocolate (Milk or Dark, w/e you want!)

1. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the butter and bring it to a sizzle or small boil. Stay close by and slowly stir it around.
2. Keep lightly boiling until a deep amber color happens and you start to smell a slight nuttiness. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grab a cookie sheet and use silpat or a sheet of parchment paper.
4. In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Then add the cooled butter and mix again. Stir in the flour until a dough forms. Last, add the chocolate and fold in.
5. Now...I know everyone is divided on this but in terms of chill time for the dough...I prefer for the dough to go into the fridge or freezer for a bit. If you don't have a lot of time, put it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. If you have a lot of time, place into the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. You don't have to, you can certainly go from stirring to the oven, no problem!
6. Once you are ready to bake though, make sure the oven is pre-heated, cookie sheet is ready and pull out the dough and let it sit on the counter for a bit to warm up just so it is easier to handle.
7. Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop out the dough and place onto the sheet with a little space in between. Each ball of dough should be about 2-3 tablespoons.
8. Put into the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes. The edges should be a light golden and the center should have that glorious chewy look that we all know and love.
9. Remove from the oven and let them stay on the sheet for a few minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to totally cool. If you can even wait this long. There is no judgement if you want to have one or two while they are still fresh from the oven. Enjoy the little pools of melted chocolate throughout the cookie.