Step 1

Place 5 tablespoons (70 g) butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool until closer to room temperature, but still liquid. (For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)

Step 2

Once the butter has cooled, add the sunflower oil, water, vanilla and egg and whisk until completely combined and the color has lightened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisking to combine, about 1 minute. Grab a spatula and fold in the flour until just combined and you still see small streaks of flour. Lastly, add in the chocolate chips and fold into the dough until evenly distributed. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough and stash in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Cover your baking sheets with either parchment paper. Place 3 tablespoons of dough on the prepared baking sheet leaving about 2 1/2-inches (6.4-cm) between dough balls.

Step 4

Bake in the center of the oven for 12 minutes or until golden around the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes (optional) and let cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.