I wouldn’t call myself a chocolate chip cookie expert, but I’ve tasted many a cookie in my day. And, I have to say, these are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten or baked. They are everything a great chocolate chip cookie should be; slightly crisp on the outer edges with a soft, chewy center. The chocolate chip to cookie ratio is perfect. I hate nothing more than to taste a chocolate chip cookie with only 2 chocolate chips. Kinda defeats the purpose, don’t you think?

Although these cookies do require some planning ahead (they have to chill out in the fridge for 6 hours), they are well worth the wait. You can also refrigerate them for up to 5 days (in an airtight container) so you can bake a batch whenever the urge hits.

It was all I could do to get the cookie dough from the mixing bowl to the baking sheets. It was quite a struggle. While they were baking, the smell of brown sugar and chocolate was pleasantly wafting through the kitchen and into the rest of the house. Ahh, pure happiness!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops start to darken.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack; cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Tip: Once the cookie dough comes out of the fridge, and the cookies are formed, try to get them in the oven quickly so the dough doesn’t have time to soften. This could cause them to flatten out while baking.

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Tags: chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies & Bars
Categories: Cookies & Bars

This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 7:35 am and is filed under Cookies & Bars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.