Chocolate Chip Cookies, Several Ways
Option #1: I have all the time and patience in the world. I can wait three days for a cookie.
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour*
1 2/3 (8 1/2 ounces) cups bread flour*
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (kosher if you have it)
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips)
*If you don’t have bread and cake flour, you can replace all of the flour with 3 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons of all purpose flour. If weighing, it is 445 grams of all purpose flour.)
Whisk flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Cream butter and sugars together in mixer until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add flour mixture and mix on low until fully combined. Scrape down bowl as necessary to evenly mix. Mix in chocolate chips on low speed; finish mixing by hand if necessary to distribute chocolate chips - dough will be thick! Scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet and wrap well with plastic wrap or scoop right into an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 72 hours or up to a week. After 3 days, bake or freeze.
To bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper if you have it (spray baking sheet with cooking spray if you don’t have parchment paper). Place cookies on sheet with at least two inches between and bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool on cookie sheet (on a wire cooling rack if you have one) for at least 5 minutes before removing from tray. Repeat with remaining cookies. Eat one warm; you won’t be mad.
To freeze: place scooped cookies on baking sheet in freezer; they will be frozen solid in an hour. Remove from cookie sheet and place in ziploc bag or airtight container - they will be fine in the freezer for at least 2 months. When ready to bake, follow instructions above - you can bake the cookies straight from the freezer; no need to defrost. You may need to add 3-5 minutes to the baking time, and it usually helps to rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time.
Vegan - and no mixer required!
2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 c. vegan chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Sea salt or other coarse salt for garnish, optional
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips to mixture and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugars with the oil until smooth - about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir until just combined and no flour is visible. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or transfer mixture to airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. After refrigerating, dough can be scooped into cookies to bake or freeze. If baking right away, still scoop and freeze cookies for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. If storing dough for later, see freezing instructions above.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper if available. Remove cookies from freezer (whether it’s been 10 minutes or a few weeks!). Place on baking sheet at least two inches apart and sprinkle each cookie lightly with the coarse salt, if using. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown - don’t over bake these! Let cool - or not. You aren’t expected to wait any longer!
Option #2: I am going to need a cookie in the next 20 minutes.
Quick, Soft, & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in bowl; set aside. In mixer, cream together butter with both sugars on medium high speed until light and fluffy for 3-4 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla, and beat on medium high until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in chocolate chips; dough will be thick.
Decision making time: scoop into regular portions and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets at 350 degrees. OR divide dough into 6 portions (each will be a half a cup!) and shape into a mound, flattening the tops slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees or until edges and tops are lightly browned. The center will still seem super soft but will set as cookie cools. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. As cookies cool, you can press a few extra chips on the top to make them look pretty!
Gluten free
2 3/4 cups (310 grams) almond flour
3/4 teaspoon salt, kosher if you have it
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (110 g) brown guar
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup (12 ounces) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In medium bowl, whisk flour together with baking soda and salt. In mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add egg and mix to combine; scrape bowl then add vanilla and mix again. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined . Scrape bowl well and mix in chocolate on low speed until combined. Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets (aim for a large golf ball size scoop) leaving at least two inches between cookies. Press cookie mounds down slightly to about 1 1/2 inches thick. Bake 12-15 minutes, rotating tray halfway through baking time. Cookies should be golden brown around the edges and just barely set in the middle.