Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who’s favorite cookie isn’t chocolate chip?  Even my husband, the chocolate hater, loves chocolate chip cookies.  Well, maybe not all chocolate chip cookies…but definitely mine!   I know I have mentioned before my love for everything America’s Test Kitchen.  So, it should be no surprise that this recipe for Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cook’s Illustrated is one of my absolute favorites.  And, let me tell you that I have made and eaten lots of chocolate chip cookies!   Like most people, I grew up on Toll House cookies and don’t get me wrong, those are great cookies.  But, I knew I could do better. And, with these cookies, I did.

I really don’t get people who like crispy chocolate chip cookies.  Nope.  They must be soft!  These cookies get their soft and chewy texture from the melted butter, the extra egg yolk, and lots of brown sugar.  I love that the batter comes together so easily.  In fact, it can even be mixed by hand and I actually prefer it that way.  There are several helpful hints to get the very best chocolate chip cookies.  First off, I suggest you measure by weight.   You would be surprised at how much variance there is with household measuring cups and differences in measuring technique.  Secondly, use the special shaping method described in the recipe to get the best appearance on the top of your cookies.  Also, you do not want to overbake these cookies or eek!, they will be crispy.  So, you have to take these cookies out of the oven when the edges are set, but they are still a bit underdone in the center.  Don’t be nervous.  They will continue cooking to perfection on the hot cookie sheet.  Lastly, you have to let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, to prevent air from circulating underneath the cookies, keeping them soft.  So if you love soft, bakery style cookies, these are definitely it.  Trust me, they are perfect.  If you like crispy chocolate chip cookies…you’ll have to look elsewhere.  No crispy cookies here.  Ever.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 18 large cookies.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar     I use light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract    I add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste.
1 to 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, the yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed (or mix by hand with a spatula) just until combined. Stir in the chips according to your taste.

Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.  See Brown Eyed Baker’s Blog for a good illustration of this shaping method.

Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and  yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Make sure you cool them on the sheet to maintain the right texture.  Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Source:  The New Best Recipe

 

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Posted by Just Baked on March 30, 2012

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