Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Lightly grease three baking trays, then line them with parchment paper.

Step 2: Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a small light-colored pan or saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you can see little golden-brown bits when you push the foam aside. Immediately pour the butter and all the brown bits into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Tip: A light-colored pan makes it easier to see the butter turn golden brown.

Step 3: Chop the chocolate into 1 cm pieces. Transfer the chunks to a bowl, leaving the fine chocolate dust behind for another use.

Step 4: Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step 5: Add the sugar to the browned butter and whisk; it may not combine fully yet. Add the egg and vanilla, then whisk until smooth.

Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the egg-and-butter mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the chocolate and stir until evenly mixed and no flour is visible. Set the dough aside for 5 minutes so it firms up slightly.

Step 7: Scoop heaped tablespoons of dough onto the prepared trays, spacing them 5 cm/2 inches apart. Flatten each mound to about 8 mm/1/3 inch thick, reshaping the edges if they split or become uneven. A size 40 cookie scoop yields 22 cookies.

Step 8: Bake two trays for 11 minutes, switching their oven shelves and rotating the trays at the 7-minute mark, or until the surfaces are light golden. If baking one tray at a time, bake each for 10 minutes and rotate at the 6-minute mark.

Step 9: Cool the cookies on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with salt flakes, if desired.