When I was but a wee fourfootsmall youngin, one of the very first things that I learned to bake on my own were cookies. Chocolate chip cookies to be exact. It was kind of a big deal at the time for an overly eager wannabe baker. I was 8 years old and under the supervision of my older brother. My brother, who was 12 and had just started junior high, was taking his first ever home economics class. Looking back, I have to question why my parents felt that this was a good/safe idea. I mean the poor boy somehow managed to set an egg on fire while frying it (the frying pan was flameless and still intact). My brothers are definitely a special kind of, err, special. But I digress.
It was also around this age that I began to develop a life long love affair with the chocolate chip cookie. As I grew, so did my take on what this cookie should be. From my early days of the standard, dry hunks of hard biscuit, to my teenage years of “throw as many different kinds of chips into the batter” for a cloyingly sweet, coma inducing treat. By the time I reached adulthood, I had a newfound appreciation for the CCC and a startling realization – the simpler the recipe, the tastier the cookie.
I present to you – my lovely readers – my take on soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies. This recipe yields large, chewy bakery style cookies. But that’s where the similarities end. Were as your upscale bakery cookie might be a little pretentious, dressed to the nines, and perhaps a little pricey, these guys are totally unassuming and won’t judge you if you suddenly have a Cookie Monster impulse to shove multiple cookies at once into your mouth. These chewy gems are more like a panacea for whatever ails you; magically melting your problems away with increasing bites.
So go ahead and put aside that recipe for vegan, quinoa flour cookies that call on instant pudding mix for chewy good measure. Keep it simple and try these instead. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
- 2 c. all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter
- 3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 c. chocolate chips
- 1/2 c. walnuts (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium side bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a skillet and allow to brown. Keep an eye on it to ensure that it does not burn. Once melted and browned, transfer to a large glass bowl and allow to cool.
- Once browned butter has cooled, whisk in sugars, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Thoroughly combine.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once incorporated, stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using them).
- Drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and space approximately 2 inches apart.
- Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the centre (approximately 8-12 minutes).
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool. Enjoy!
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container or a large freezer bag to help retain their soft, chewy texture. Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.
