If I could only have one kind of cookie for the rest of my life, this would be it: a thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie that is soft on the inside, but slightly crispy on the edges. Enjoy these warm from the oven with a tall glass of milk. Life doesn't get much better.
When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, I am a little picky. My favorite chocolate chip cookies have slightly crispy edges, but are still very soft, buttery, and chewy in the center. I also don't like the cookies to be too soft. If I decide to dunk my cookies in a glass of milk, I want insurance that I'm not going to lose half of a too-soft cookie in the bottom of the glass. You know what I mean, right? As for the chocolate, I prefer semisweet or dark chocolate. Milk chocolate just seems a bit too sweet to be used in chocolate chip cookies (just my opinion, of course).
I fiddled around with this recipe quite a few times before getting it just right. The dough is chilled before baking to ensure that the cookies keep their shape and chewy texture during baking. To keep the process quick and simple, I drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, then place the sheets into the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Because the dough has already been separated into smaller portions, it cools down much faster than if the entire bowl of cookie dough were to be placed in the refrigerator. To maintain the chewy texture of these cookies, they are also baked at a relatively low temperature of 325 degrees. The cookies take a few minutes longer to bake because of the low temperature, but the wait is completely worthwhile.
Funny story about these cookies: When I decided to make them, I realized that I was a little short on chocolate chips. I didn't feel like running out to the grocery store, so I looked around our kitchen for alternative sources of chocolate. I had an assortment of leftover Easter candy, including a large dark chocolate bunny. I briefly considered chopping up that bunny to make these chocolate chip cookies. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm a bit touchy about how those chocolate bunnies get used. With good reason. You see, every year, my husband and I receive Easter baskets from his parents. We each get our own chocolate bunny from the local chocolate shop. His is milk chocolate, mine is dark chocolate. My husband tends to inhale his bunny within a week, but I take much longer to eat mine. Last year, about a month after Easter, I opened the pantry with a craving for dark chocolate. I looked around for my Easter bunny, but couldn't find him. I searched a little longer, but still, no bunny. So I asked my husband if he knew what had happened to the bunny. His response? "Yeah, I know what happened to it. You were taking too long to eat it, so I melted it down and used it in the mole sauce we ate last night for dinner."
What??? I was not pleased. Easter bunnies are not meant to be made into mole. Admittedly, it was a rather delicious mole sauce. But still. It's a matter of principle.
Luckily, no Easter bunnies were harmed in the making of these cookies. I was able to chop up enough of my other leftover Easter candy to compensate for the missing chocolate chips. Thank goodness.
Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cook Time: 16-20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 1/4cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
1. Line two standard baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and continue mixing until incorporated. Add in flour mixture in two separate additions, and mix on low speed until fully combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Use a two-tablespoon measuring spoon (such as a coffee scoop) to form cookie dough into balls. Place approximately 12 balls onto each cookie sheet, until all dough has been used. Chill cookie dough in the fridge, on the baking sheets, for approximately 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. After 15-20 minutes, remove baking sheets from the oven and place directly in preheated oven. Bake for 16-20 minutes (depending on how "done" you like your cookies to be). Cookies should be slightly browned on the edges but still soft in the center. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: 22-24 cookies
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