Your Last Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Your new best friend.

“Like the omelet, which many believe to be the true test of a chef, the humble chocolate chip cookie is the baker’s crucible.” – New York Times, July 9 2008.

I have experimented on nearly a hundred chocolate chip cookie recipes.  From too thin to too sweet, I hadn’t quite cracked the code until stumbling upon this recipe.  These cookies are dangerously delicious.  Each bite has that perfectly crunchy outside, followed with a chewy centre as the brown sugar and butter flavour melts on your tongue.

The secret of this recipe’s success is credited to the perfect ratio of ingredients, and prime temperatures.  Keep your butter in the fridge before preparing these.  To soften, cut into 1/4″ cubes, place in between two sheets of parchment paper and release some aggression.  The recipe suggests refrigerating the batter up to 24 hours but a single hour will give you the same outcome.  Feel free to add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of chunks.  Good luck only eating one or two of these gems.

Edie loves her role as "butter beater"

Unbelievably Good Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Original recipe posted at words to eat by

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
¾ cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch chunks [I just used half a 12-oz bag of bittersweet Ghiardelli chocolate chips]

1) Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

2) Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on low speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

3) Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not over-beat. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

4) On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until they are just incorporated. If using a hand mixer, use a wooden spoon to stir them in. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour, and preferably 24-36 hours.

5) Preheat oven to 350. Adjust racks to lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Spoon the dough using a cookie scooper 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. (makes about 23 3-inch round cookies)

6) Bake for 11-13 minutes [it’s 13 in my oven] or until golden brown around the edges but still soft, almost underdone-looking, in the center. Turn the sheets front to back and switch racks halfway through.

Remove the sheet from the oven and carefully slide the parchment or Silpats directly onto a work surface. When cookies are set, remove them to a cooling rack. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving or 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

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