A simple recipe that is simply irresistible. Take a bite out of these Chocolate Chip Cookies and savor the flavor of childhood.
I turn to this recipe soon after I go to fancy cafes. I’ll look through their displays at all the wonderful baked goods they’ve concocted. Cakes, croissants, muffins, donuts, cookies… they’re all there and they all look sinfully decadent. They also look incredibly complex. So much so that I usually have to ask an employee just what they are and what’s in them. It’s at this point I long for the simplicity of the chocolate chip cookie.
Don’t get me wrong: Those creations (including muffins that sell for five bucks a pop) are probably delicious and I am sure are not easy to make. But I remember having chocolate chip cookies as a kid and not complaining one bit about them. In fact, I thought food in general didn’t get much better than those cookies, which is why I have come out with this recipe.
Some say the special ingredient in cookies is love (while the skeptics out there will say salt). I, for one, say it’s simplicity with a hint of nostalgia. Care to take a bite?
How do I get truly chewy and moist cookies?
There are a number of tips I can share that I have found resulted in those chewy and moist cookies you used to see in cookie commercials as a kid. Let’s start off with the brown sugar. Don’t skip it or replace it with white. Brown sugar contains molasses and adds richness and moisture to the dough. Next, keep that temperature up. A lower temperature means more time baking (and drying out) in the oven. The butter should be softened, not totally liquid. If you microwaved it, at least let it cool completely. As I explain below, use room-temperature eggs; cold eggs could lead to solid cookies. Another tip? Don’t overmix the dough. Doing so could lead to the cookies spreading out too much during baking. One more tip? While I know you may want your cookies right away, let the dough chill for a few hours before you bake them. The resulting cookies won’t spread out as much and you will be rewarded with thicker, chewier cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened & cooled
- 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Yields: 16 cookies
Step 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
Step 2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth, ensuring no sugar lumps remain. Add in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla extract, mixing until well combined. The mixture will be somewhat thin.
Step 3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until the dough forms. It will be soft and may seem greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips, trying to distribute them evenly, even if they don’t stick well due to the butter.
Step 4. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, or up to 3 days. For best results and less cookie spreading, chill overnight.
Step 5. When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 6. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out the dough. For extra-large cookies, use 3 scant tablespoons of dough; for medium-large cookies, use 2 heaping tablespoons. Roll the dough into tall, cylindrical balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out to allow for spreading.
Step 7. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly browned. The centers will appear soft but will firm up as they cool. For extra-large cookies, you may need up to 14 minutes of baking time.
Step 8. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of the warm cookies for a bakery-style look.
FAQs & Tips
Let the cookies cool completely then put them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for up to five days. You can also freeze them. I recommend flash-freezing them first (lay them out on a cookie sheet and putting the whole thing in the freezer for an hour). This will prevent them from sticking to each other. Now you can just put them in a freezer-safe bag and save space.
First, let me clarify: Both the egg and the additional egg yolk should be at room temperature. The reason for this is, room temperature eggs mix more easily with the batter than chilled eggs. This leads to a nicer consistency throughout the cookies; it also means the flavor will be more evened out. You may also notice non-chilled eggs are easier to beat. This means more air can get into them, which in turn leads to lighter, fluffier cookies.
If you want to make the dough first but wait till some other day to make the actual cookies, you can wrap up the dough then store it in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze it. What you may want to do is portion out the dough on a cookie sheet then flash-freeze them. This way, when you want a few cookies, you can just grab the individual lumps from the freezer and bake as directed in this recipe (adding a few extra minutes to account for the frozenness).
Serving Suggestions
If you’re going to have chocolate chip cookies, you need a big glass of milk. And by big, I mean, wide enough to fit a cookie. After all, you have to dunk it, right? You can also turn to hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, though I think this is one of those rare instances when it’s totally fine for an adult to pour themselves a glass of milk. To accompany the cookies, you can add whipped cream, ice cream (make an ice cream sandwich with another cookie!), chocolate drizzle, or even a smudge of peanut butter.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups 280g all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened & cooled
- 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth, ensuring no sugar lumps remain. Add in the egg and egg yolk, then the vanilla extract, mixing until well combined. The mixture will be somewhat thin.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until the dough forms. It will be soft and may seem greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips, trying to distribute them evenly, even if they don't stick well due to the butter.
- Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, or up to 3 days. For best results and less cookie spreading, chill overnight.
- When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out the dough. For extra-large cookies, use 3 scant tablespoons of dough; for medium-large cookies, use 2 heaping tablespoons. Roll the dough into tall, cylindrical balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out to allow for spreading.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly browned. The centers will appear soft but will firm up as they cool. For extra-large cookies, you may need up to 14 minutes of baking time.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of the warm cookies for a bakery-style look.
