• Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, as it begins to foam. The milk solids will gradually turn golden brown and you will start to smell a deep, nutty aroma.
• Once you see golden brown flecks at the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat. Keep a close eye on the butter because it can go from beautifully browned to burnt very quickly.
• Allow the brown butter to cool slightly, then stir in the maple syrup, soy sauce and vanilla essence.
• Add the white sugar and brown sugar to the butter mixture, followed by the egg. Mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix the mixture. Once everything has come together, stop mixing.
• Add the plain flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a cookie dough forms and there are no obvious pockets of dry flour.
• Fold through the milk and dark chocolate until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Divide the dough into 10 to 12 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto a lined tray or plate.
• Place the cookie dough in the fridge and chill ideally overnight, but for a minimum of 4 hours.
• For an even thicker cookie, you can freeze the shaped dough after chilling it. If freezing, allow the dough to freeze for a few hours before baking.
• When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F. Allow the oven to fully preheat before baking.

Bake

• Place the chilled or frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined baking tray, making sure to leave plenty of space between each cookie.
• Bake at 180°C or 356°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden and set, while the centres should still look slightly soft. Do not worry if the centres look a little underbaked. They will continue to set as the cookies cool.