Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

I had at least a couple of people express interest in the chocolate chip cookies I mentioned in a blog post from last week. Try not to overcook these, because they stay amazingly soft and chewy for days if you almost under cook them a little.

I promised that I would share the recipe so here goes:

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes about 18 large

• 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 just warm
• 1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  * I use Ghirardelli semi sweet (use good chocolate chips)

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper, and lower, middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray (I like the parchment paper option... super easy cleanup).

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. (See illustration below) Be careful not to smooth the dough ball's uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart.

(click on image to enlarge)

Step 3 reads: Each half will have a jagged surface where it was ripped from the other. Rotate each piece 90 degrees so that the jagged surface faces up.

Step 4 reads: Jam the halves back together into one ball so that the top surface remains jagged.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and 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. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Enjoy!

I hope you love these as much as we do. They're especially tasty straight out of the oven with a glass of milk.