Skip to main content

Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

What is it about chocolate chip cookies that make everything seem better?  I have yet to meet a person that doesn't like this type of cookie.  One remembers those chipwiches from childhood or the store bought "soft batch" that tasted so good to us.   I know people who only like thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies or those who only like soft and chewy ones.  Personally, I like any chocolate chip cookie as long as it's made with good ingredients.  This particular cookie is soft, puffy and chock-full of chocolate morsels.  The other wonderful aspect about this recipe, is that you can pop the cookies into the oven as soon as you've completed your dough.  There is no need to chill it beforehand.  These will not spread much and burn around the edges like other recipes.  Have a look.


The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
You should have several cookie sheets lined with parchment or silpats.
Ingredients:
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (kosher works well too)
  • 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 12 oz (2 cups) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 
Whisk your dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cream the butter by itself in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with your paddle attachment.  Do this until it's creamy (about 1-2 minutes).  Scrape down your bowl.

Note: you can use a handheld mixer.

Add your granulated sugar and dark brown sugar.  Cream this well for about another minute or two.  You want it creamy, but not too fluffy.
  
I can't stress it enough how important it is to scrape down that mixer bowl once or twice. 

Add your eggs one at a time and mix well.

Stop your mixer and add the entire dry ingredients.  Turn your mixer on low and mix until there are no more specks of flour.

Add your favorite chocolate chips or chunks now.  If you want to include nuts, you should add them at this point.  One cup of chopped nuts is plenty.

The finished dough.  Make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed.  I won't tell anyone if you decide to try some.

I'm using a 1 1/4" ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto my silpat lined baking sheet.  Parchment can be used with equal success.  If you notice, I'm staggering the dough so that I give them plenty of room.  

Pop the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 12-14 minutes.  Watch them carefully.  They'll be done when you notice a bit of browning around the edges.  Don't let them burn.

Cookies right out of the oven.  Perfect mounds! This makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

I couldn't resist.  I immediately poured myself a glass of cold milk and scarfed down two cookies on the spot.

I just had to share these goodies with my friends Jerry and Dan.  They were packaged in a large cellophane bag with an embossed sticker that says "It's a Good Thing" from the former Martha by Mail catalog.


A chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven is one of life's real treats, but they're just as good the next day.  These can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days if they last that long.  You could freeze them if you really want to, but why not share them with friends, relatives or neighbors?  Start baking!

Comments

  1. Hi David,
    Two things: I tend to mix in the chocolate chips by hand since the mixer tends to grind some of them up, I can hear it grate up against the sides. Do you ever add them by hand? Or at what speed do you blend the chips/nuts into the dough? Also when I make a batch of cookies I come out with a little more than 3 dozen like you, but the recipe books say, "Makes 4.5 dozen". What size scoop are they using?
    Thanks,
    Dede

    ReplyDelete
  2. You can mix in the chips by hand with a bit of elbow grease or you can dump your chips and give the mixer 2-3 quick bursts (quickly go to medium for 2 seconds and turn off) of power to mix them in. If I have nuts, I do the same quick bursts. This usually won't break up the chips or nuts. As for the scoops, they're probably using a much smaller one (teaspoon size) or they're dropping them by using two spoons. A 1-1 1/4" scoop should give you the three dozen. Happy Baking!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang