Chocolate Chip Cookies
This chocolate chip cookies recipe bakes up crisp golden edges with soft, chewy centers and pools of semi-sweet chocolate in every bite, using just ten pantry staples in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowls - one for wet ingredients, one for dry
- Hand mixer or stand mixer - for creaming the butter and sugars
- Baking sheets - at least two, so one can cool while the other bakes
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats - for even browning and zero sticking
- Cookie scoop - for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate
- Wire cooling rack - lets air circulate so the bottoms stay crisp
- Measuring cups and spoons - or better, a digital kitchen scale for the dry ingredients
- Digital kitchen scale - (optional) for weighing flour accurately
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour - 279g; spoon and level it rather than scooping
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - the leavening that gives a gentle lift and golden color
- 1 teaspoon salt - sharpens the sweetness and balances the chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 227g; softened, left at room temperature until pliable but not melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar - 150g; crisps the edges
- ¾ cup brown sugar - 150g, packed; adds moisture and a soft, chewy center
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - pure vanilla beats imitation here
- 2 large eggs - bind the dough and add richness
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips - 340g; one 12-ounce bag is exactly right
- 1 cup chopped walnuts - 120g; optional, for crunch; leave them out and add ¼ cup more chips if you prefer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set the bowl aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix until just combined; the batter should look smooth and slightly glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing on low speed only until the flour disappears with no dry streaks. Stop as soon as it comes together.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using, by hand with a spatula for even distribution. Reserve a small handful of chips to press onto the dough tops.
- Scoop rounded 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto the lined sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press a few reserved chips onto the top of each mound if you like.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look just set. Rotate the sheet halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
- Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Use butter that is softened, not melted. It should give slightly when pressed but still hold its shape. Melted butter is the top cause of flat cookies.
- Weigh your flour for consistency. A packed cup of flour can weigh 20 percent more than a properly spooned one, which is enough to change the whole texture.
- Do not overmix the dough. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes for thicker cookies. An overnight chill goes further and deepens the flavor to a richer, more caramel-like taste.
- Bake one sheet at a time and let the pan cool between batches. Hot pans melt the dough on contact and cause spreading.
- Underbake slightly. Pull the cookies while the middles still look underdone; residual heat finishes the centers on the pan.
- Check your baking soda freshness. If it is older than six months, it may have lost its lift.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Drop in a slice of sandwich bread to keep them soft.
- Freeze baked cookies layered between parchment in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freeze dough balls on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen with 1 to 2 extra minutes.
- Reheat a cookie in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to bring back that fresh-baked gooeyness.
- For a double chocolate version, replace ¼ cup of flour with cocoa powder. For a nut-free version, leave out the walnuts and add an extra ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1CookieCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!