Brown Butter Hojicha Earl Grey (Printable)

Sophisticated cookies blending nutty brown butter, roasted hojicha, and fragrant Earl Grey for an aromatic Japanese-British fusion treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter

→ Dry Ingredients

02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 tablespoon hojicha powder
06 - 2 teaspoons 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 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

# Method:

01 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, hojicha powder, and ground Earl Grey tea leaves until well combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. If using, fold in white chocolate chips.
05 - Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, for optimal flavor development and texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon mounds, spacing 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers remain slightly soft.
08 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The brown butter gives you that toasted, almost whispered richness that regular butter simply can't match.
  • Hojicha and Earl Grey together create an aromatic complexity that feels both comforting and refined, like you've discovered a secret menu item at a fancy café.
  • They're forgiving enough for a weeknight but fancy enough to gift in a pretty box.
02 -
  • Don't walk away while browning butter—it goes from nutty perfection to burnt in about 30 seconds, and burnt butter tastes bitter and angry.
  • Chilling the dough isn't optional; it's the difference between cookies that spread into a thin, greasy mess and cookies that stay plump and tender with actual structure.
  • Grinding your own Earl Grey leaves instead of using pre-ground tea releases way more fragrance and prevents those chalky texture moments.
03 -
  • Brown your butter in a light-colored saucepan so you can actually see the color changing and catch it at the perfect moment of golden-brown perfection.
  • If you don't have hojicha powder, you can make a quick substitute by grinding roasted green tea leaves in a spice grinder until they're fine, though the result won't be quite as smooth.
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