Well, our snow day turned out to be a bit of a bust. No school, lots of movies and momma baking in the kitchen to keep warm. I thought I’d share our favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies, known elsewhere as the best chocolate chip cookies in the whole entire world!
A while back I discovered a recipe by Debbie Koenig. I’ve since altered it to what works best in my kitchen.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup tightly packed light brown sugar
3 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold, lightly beaten
12 oz chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Adjust racks to lower and upper thirds of the oven.
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, cream the butter and sugars on low speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes.
3) Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat.
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.
The recipe I use calls to “Refrigerate dough for at least an hour, and preferably 24-36 hours.” I just make the cookies immediately- with cold butter and cold eggs, it works for me.
5) 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 4 dozen 3-inch round cookies)
6) Bake for approximately 8 minutes [it’s more in other ovens] 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.
These cookies are amazing! We are enjoying lots of them on this icey winter day!
