Raising Recipes

These are seriously the best chocolate chip cookies…like ever. Did I tell you I worked at a bakery for 10 years? Well I did. And in doing so I learned the trade secrets to creating the best baked goods. Now I can pass them along to you. I know you will enjoy these as much as my dad did, because I shared couple dozen of these with him and he ate them all…in one sitting. Granted, he has a major sweet tooth, but I know these are damn good. They barely lasted a day in my house.

The Chocolate Chips

I always use semi sweet chips. Now, I’ve used milk chocolate and dark chocolate and white chocolate and peanut butter chips but good ol’ semi sweet are the best. There is a reason they are the most used. They are the perfect texture and flavor for a traditional chocolate chip cookie. There just is no substitute.

The Sugar

You are going to need 2 types of sugar here. Brown and white. Too much brown sugar leaves the cookie tasting like molasses and too much white leaves them tasting like they have no depth to the flavor. You should use half white sugar and half brown sugar.

The Texture

Now, If you want a chewy chocolate chip cookie, you absolutely can not over mix the dough, and you need to underbake them just slightly. I will always pull them out a minute or two under the minimum bake time and cool immediately. I love when it’s cold out and I can just put them outside to cool down.

Storage (if you even have any leftover)

The best way to store cookies is to let them cool completely. Then, you need to put them in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature. Oh, and they key to keeping them nice and chewy? Bread. Yup, you ned to place a slice of white bread in the container to keep those babies moist and chewy. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and the slice will dry up like a prune. I use this trick for all the cookies I bake that I want to keep chewy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Slowly, add together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies chewy.
5. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remember, if you prefer a chewy texture, slightly underbake them by pulling them out a minute or two before the minimum bake time.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep them chewy, place a slice of white bread in the container. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread, while the slice will dry up.

Enjoy these delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk!