Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ah, the elusive chocolate chip cookie. Everyone has their favorite recipe they swear is the Absolute Best Ever. I tried a new recipe a while back, but really wasn't wowed by it. Should have known though; it was, after all, created by a Brit. For my whole life, my go-to recipe was the Nestle Toll House one on the back of the chocolate chip bag. They are chewy, chocolatey, a tiny bit salty, and pretty effortless to make. But I'll be the first to admit: they're not perfect. They tend to be a little on the svelte side, which can make them crunchy rather than chewy. Plus, I like my cookies with some meat on 'em.

Sorry, was that too weird? Mixing cookies with meat?

What I mean is that I like my cookies to be nice and thick and dense. I want to be able to eat just one cookie and be satisfied (for the next 30 minutes at least). So when I saw the title of this recipe, and read all the rave reviews on other food blogs, I really wanted to give them a try.

The first time I made them was just for Dan. He was still studying for the Boards and his beloved Monday night softball game had been cancelled. He is a sucker for my Nestle chocolate chip cookies though, and is a staunch advocate that no one makes them as well as I do. He's actually grilled me before as to what my secret is that makes them turn out so well (magic! Also, I've made them about a million times in my life and the recipe's just not that hard...).

I was really hoping this recipe would hold up against my old standard, and I think they turned out pretty well. He seemed happy with them, although he wasn't quite ready to admit that they had taken the first place spot in his stomach. I really liked them. They had all the familiar flavor of a classic chocolate chip cookie and were just what their name describes: thick and chewy, more similar to a bakery cookie than my beloved Toll House. The extra egg yolk adds richness to the dough, and the melted butter in place of softened means you can make these at a moment's notice. Dangerous.

Along with the Mixed Berry Crumb Bars, these were dessert for our 4th of July picnic.

Another great finger food that was also an American classic? Perfect! These were heartily enjoyed by all, and I think they turned out even better than the first time I made them (as so many recipes do). They may just be the new family favorite.

Oh! Pay special attention to the method used in shaping these cookies. It gives them that crinkly top that bakery cookies usually have, and is actually really simple to do. That is if you can follow along with the long instructions and all my pictures. You can use this same technique for just about any and every type of cookie.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus t Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpats.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into two equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface.

Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. 

Store in airtight container.

Source: Baking Illustrated