Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. and put 1/4 cup of white sugar in a small bowl. (garnish)
In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix softened butter for 2 minutes on medium-high until lightened in color and fluffy. Add sugar and mix on medium-high for an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the egg, vanilla, and water. Mix until combined and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The dough will be sticky but manageable.
Put 1/4 cup of white sugar in a small bowl. (garnish). Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop dough into balls and then roll in the sugar. Place the dough on the baking sheet, 6 to a pan. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes while you scoop your second sheet.
Remove the frozen cookie dough in the preheated oven. Let bake for 6 minutes. The cookies will start to pouf up.
Using oven mitts, reach in the oven and pick up the pan a couple of inches off the oven rack. Either let it drop or as I did, lightly bang it against the oven rack. Let the dough bake another 2 minutes and bang it again. Let the dough bake another 1 to 2 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and bang the pan one more time.
Keeping the cookies on the baking sheet, let the cookies cool completely. Keeping them on the pan will help them firm up. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the browned butter glaze.
Browned Butter Glaze
Notes
The originator of this recipe is The Fresh Cooky and developed by Sarah Kieffer in her cookbook, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book, her gastronomic creation of the Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookie
Make sure your ingredients are all at room temperature.
Whipping butter isn't just mixing butter. You want it light and fluffy which usually takes at least 2 minutes at medium-high speed using your electric mixer. It will lighten in color. I've included a photo for you.
Give your oven plenty of time to preheat. I start mine before I begin mixing my dough.
Whisk dry ingredients together. Have you ever bitten into a cookie and tasted salt? The baker skipped this step. Sad face inserted here.
You literally have to bang this pan while the cookies are baking. Make sure your oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven and that you don't have any racks above the middle one. That helps prevent burns to your hands and arms.
I used a medium-sized cookie scoop which makes a two-tablespoon cookie. You could use a large scoop (3 tablespoons) but that's overkill in my opinion.
Fill cookie sheets with only 6 cookies. You want your cookies to have plenty of room to spread (bang) out.
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.