Alvin Zhou Recipes

BROWN BUTTER TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the toffee: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt, stirring until evenly incorporated. If there are grainy lumps or if the fat starts to separate, add a couple splashes of water and stir vigorously to emulsify. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 290°F (143°C), about 10-15 minutes.
• Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out slightly with a spatula. Freeze until ready to use, about 30 minutes.
• Make the cookie dough: Add the butter to a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns dark brown and smells nutty. Watch carefully so the butter does not burn. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Add an ice cube to the butter and slowly let it melt. It may froth and bubble. Add the remaining 3 ice cubes and gently stir until melted.
• In a large bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugar, espresso powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Pour the brown butter into the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Don't worry if it looks separated.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Pour into the sugar and butter mixture and whisk until glossy and smooth.
• Add the flour and fold with a rubber spatula to incorporate until the dough has no visible flour streaks.
• Remove the toffee from the freezer (it should be a frozen disc) and break it into chunks that will fit inside a gallon zip-top bag. Double bag the toffee and seal both bags. With a rolling pin, break the toffee into small pieces.
• Fold the crushed toffee and chopped chocolate into the dough until evenly distributed.
• Using a large ice cream scoop or a ½ cup (65 g) measure, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap the baking sheet in plastic wrap, but leave a small opening at the corner of the tray. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 36 hours. This will allow the flavor to develop and the dough to dry out a little as it rests, which will result in less spread when it bakes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space between the cookies and away from the edges of the pan.
• Bake until the cookies are golden brown with crispy edges, but are still slightly soft in the center, 18-20 minutes.
• Immediately sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt. then let cool completely. The cookies will be very soft at first but will set after they are fully cooled.
• Enjoy!

100 HOUR BROWNIES

Steps:

• In a large pan, begin melting butter, stirring constantly. Keep stirring over medium-low heat until butter begins to smell nutty and has started to turn a golden brown color, about five minutes. Remove from heat, add in the ice cube and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla and sugar until thick and a pale yellow color. Sift in the cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt and mix until well blended. Add in the browned butter and hen the melted chocolate, mixing well after each addition. Sift in the flour and mix well.
• In a bowl, combine the 3.5 ounces chopped milk chocolate, 3.5 ounces chopped 75% cacao chocolate and 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fold HALF of the chocolate into the brownie batter, reserving the remaining chocolate.
• Line an 8x11 pyrex pan (can also use a 9x13 pan, adjusting the bake time to 30 minutes) with parchment paper. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. it will be VERY thick. Scatter remaining chocolate over the top of the batter and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in fridge for three days.
• On the third day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from fridge and remove plastic wrap. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (30 if using 9x13 pan).
• After baking, remove pan from the oven and immediately top with aluminum foil. Place pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, transfer pan to fridge for 24 hours.
• When ready to serve, remove pan from fridge, remove brownies from pan and slice into 12 portions. To eat, warm each slice in the microwave for about 20 seconds or warm in a 350 oven for a couple of minutes. Eat, blissfully, with a large, cold glass of milk!

YES, THESE 48-HOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES TAKE 2 DAYS TO MAKE, BUT OMG, ARE THEY GOOD

Steps:

• Start by making the toffee. Put butter, light brown sugar, and kosher salt in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. You can cut the butter into smaller pieces so it melts easier. Mix together, continuously stirring. Heat until it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit (use a candy thermometer to be sure). Pour the toffee onto a baking sheet with parchment paper, then put it in the freezer to harden. In a medium-size bowl, mix the brown and white sugar, salt, espresso, and baking soda for the dough. Next, make brown butter by heating two sticks of butter on the stove over medium heat. Stir continuously until it turns golden brown. Put two ice cubes in the butter and mix until melted. Pour butter into the dough mixture. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add flour to the mixture to thicken the dough. Combine until smooth. Cut the chocolate into chunks with a knife. Set aside. Break the toffee into smaller bits, using a spoon or rolling pin. Pour the chocolate and toffee into the batter, folding over until evenly distributed. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop dough onto a pan with parchment paper. Put in the fridge for 48 hours to let the flavors settle and intensify (it makes a big difference!). After 48 hours, bake the cookies at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. They should be golden brown with slightly crispy edges. Note: I had to periodically use a spatula to gently shape the cookies so they stayed round. Sprinkle sea salt over the top for the final touch. Serve with milk and enjoy!