The keys to making the perfect cookies from this luxury private golf club

Welcome to Clubhouse diningwhere we celebrate the game’s most delicious food and drinks. I hope you brought your appetite.

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I’m quite picky when it comes to cookies. They are often too crunchy for my taste, so I usually leave them out and opt for other treats like brownies or cake.

But I simply couldn’t resist the tempting bowl of cookies that greeted my arrival in late September Pine Canyona luxurious master-planned community and private club located just minutes outside of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. There were several varieties to choose from, artfully arranged. So on a whim I decided to taste one. Wow. It was perfect, with a light crunch, a tasty chew and an excellent ratio of chocolate chips.

As someone who has messed up quite a few cookie batches while baking with my kids, I was intrigued. How exactly did Pine Canyon’s chefs achieve this exemplary result? Luckily for me (and you!), they graciously shared the keys.

According to Pine Canyon pastry chef Sierra Proctor, the club’s cookies are a signature offering that has been served since the club opened more than two decades ago.

“After a round of golf or an afternoon workout, members expect this sweet piece of comfort that feels like home,” she said.

And what exactly distinguishes the cookies? According to Proctor, it is both an ingredient and a preparation method.

“What makes the cookies special is twofold,” she said. “The use of brown butter, which adds a deep, nutty flavor, and the technique of chilling the dough overnight, keeps the cookies thick and chewy.”

Making brown butter is a simple process:

First, Proctor said, slowly melt the butter in a light-colored pan. Watch to see if it foams and the milk solids turn golden brown. (As a bonus, your kitchen will be filled with a rich, nutty aroma.)

Then pour all the butter, including the browned bits, into a bowl to cool. At that point you can combine it with the rest of the cookie ingredients. Check out the full recipe for Pine Canyon Cookies below.

Pine Canyon’s signature brown butter cookies

Ingredients

-6 oz butter, browned, cooled and softened
-4 oz granulated sugar
-4 oz brown sugar
-1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
-0.5 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
-8.5 oz bread flour
-0.5 teaspoon of salt
-0.5 teaspoon of baking soda
-8 oz mix-ins of your choice (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)

Directions:

Beat the brown butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture.

Add chocolate chips or other mix-ins by hand.

Roll the dough into balls and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spaced 10 cm apart.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 325°F for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown with crispy edges and a gooey center.