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The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I have never been a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. I think mainly because I have never found one with the right combination of ingredients. They’ve either had too much or too little brown or granulated sugar, or they were too thin, too hard and crispy, or too soft, or they didn’t have the right proportion of chocolate chips to cookie dough. Since I had never found one that I liked I was convinced that I just didn’t like chocolate chip cookies - which seems almost un-American to me. Then one day, my life changed.  A co-worker has been bringing these cookies to all of our office parties for many years. Finally one day I tried one and honestly it was love at first bite. These cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy in the center.  And what really makes these cookies unique is the addition of the browned butter. That along with baking the cookies at a slightly higher temperature (375 degrees Fahrenheit) gives them a wonderful nutty, caramelized flavor and nice brown tops. Many thanks to Denise for finally giving me a chocolate chip cookie I could love.

Adapted from Food and Wine, published June 2012

 




 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp. and cut into 16 pieces
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup tightly packed, light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons of whole milk (alternatively you can substitute carnation milk, cream, or half and half)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (use a good brand like Callebaut)
 



 

Instructions

 
Step 1: Place the butter into a medium-size saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the butter until melted, and browned. As the butter is cooking, use the handle of saucepan to swirl it around and prevent burning. 
 
Step 2: As the butter browns, it will start to become frothy, as soon as the froth dissipates, keep a close eye on the butter. It should have a lovely nutty fragrance and the bubbles will be deep golden brown. The browning process can take about 5-9 minutes. As soon as the butter is ready, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
 
    
 
    
 
Step 3: In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda; Set aside.
 
Step 4: Beat together the browned butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 7 minutes.
 
 
Step 5: Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk choice. Beat on medium speed to combine.
 
Step 6: On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, beating just until they're incorporated into the wet.
 
Step 7: Use a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips.
 
Step 8: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours. This allows flavors to blend and give the cookie a better texture.
 
Step 9: When you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
 
Step 10: Use scoop to place them on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2-inches of space between each mound of dough. 
 
Step 11: Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown. The center will look under cooked, but will firm up after cooling for about 5 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 
 



 

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