The Elusive Chocolate Chip Cookie

It seems in all of bakedom there isn’t a more never-ending quest than the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. When I was young, I loved one recipe above all others. I was convinced it was the secret cookie recipe that everyone was looking for. Come to find out... it was the Tollhouse Cookie recipe. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve played with using shortening vs. butter vs. butter-flavored shortening. I've added and decreased flour amounts. I've done them with walnuts and with almonds. I’m partial to chewy cookies over crisp ones. In addition to being chewy, I prefer them with a little more cakey volume. But the biggest problem I’ve always had was that the cookies didn’t keep their volume after they cooled. They went flat.

Well, wonder of wonders, I’ve found my new favorite recipe. It’s Regan Daley’s “The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookie” recipe. The first time I made it, I followed the instructions exactly. They came out just the way I love them. Since then, the only deviation I’ve made has been to use chocolate chips rather than chop up chocolate bars. They are still 100% delicious.



The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies - Regan Daley

1 C unsalted butter at room temperature
1 C tightly packed light brown sugar
1 / 2 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1 / 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 C plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 / 2 tsp salt
16 oz flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I now use a pkg of chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them. (I use parchment paper.) In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 minutes for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.