I've finally done it.
I've found THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE IN THE WORLD!!!
This is a very big deal to me. I am kind of a chocolate chip cookie snob. For my taste, at least... I realize that some people like crunchy, hard chocolate chip cookies... but I do not. Yuck. And in case you have never tried, baking a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie is difficult. Much more difficult than I ever imagined. Especially since I am apparently very picky about my cookies. I don't want just soft, fluffy cookies. I'm not looking for crispy edges with chewy centers (which seems to be the most common result with "chewy" cookie recipes). I want them to be chewy. All the way through. And not flat, but not too "puffy"... because that creates a soft cookie, not a chewy one. And by chewy I do not mean under baked, where the cookie falls apart when you pick it up because the middle is essentially still dough...
See... cookie snob. They say admitting you have a problem is the first step.
But seriously... how hard can it be to create this cookie??
I started out on my quest about 4 years ago. I was craving chocolate chip cookies and decided that as a mom of a toddler (Read was not quite 2) I needed to know how to bake a good chocolate chip cookie. So rather than running to the store and buying some, I looked up a recipe and promptly made a huge mess in my kitchen.
And failed. Miserably.
Did you know that baking soda expires? And if it is expired, that your cookies will be all runny and flat and horrible looking (and horrible tasting, quite frankly). Well, that is what I learned that night. And my cookies looked something like this.
Gross, right?!?
My sweet husband still ate them. And has since admitted that they were, in fact, horrible. But our household does not believe in throwing food away, especially any kind of baked goods. Besides, they still had chocolate in them so they couldn't be ALL bad...I was even more determined after that epic fail, so I did some cookie research and quickly discovered that I really did not know ANYTHING about baking. There was actually some skill involved, and fresh, quality ingredients DID make a difference. So I acquired some baking soda that wasn't 2 years old and tried again. And again, and again, and again... I baked several batches of cookies within a couple weeks, experimenting with different recipes. And none of them were what I wanted. :(
I had to take a break from my quest for the perfect cookie, because quite frankly we were tired of eating crappy cookies. They got better, but they were still... blech. And because of our no-cookie-left-behind policy, we were going through a lot of milk since dunking them was the only way to make them not taste like a chocolate chip hockey puck.
Every once in a while I'd come across a new recipe and try it out, but I was always disappointed with the results. It was so discouraging. My baking skills improved in the cake/cupcake/banana bread/other delicious desserts arena, but cookies... especially the coveted chewy chocolate chip variety... still eluded me.
Enter Pinterest.
Oh Pinterest, glorious Pinterest... how did we stay-at-home moms survive before you?? ;) There are so many tips and tricks to be found on Pinterest, it is no wonder that I finally found my recipe there.
I really wasn't expecting much. Perhaps I had grown a little cynical in my quest for the perfect cookie. But finally, I have found it!! They are SO soft and chewy, and are actually even better today after they have had time to cool and set than they were straight out of the oven.
So good. Make them right now. And make sure your baking soda is fresh. ;) (Seriously though, a new box costs like 1 dollar. If it's been open more than a month, throw it away!)
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
Found here, via Pinterest
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)
5. Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Makes approximately 3 dozen. Try not to eat them all.
***A few notes... Yes, cornstarch. I know, weird. Just do it. Also, I didn't have unsalted butter on hand and the store is like, 3 minutes away... way too much effort. I used salted and they are delicious. I also refrigerated the dough for a couple hours before baking... during my vast cookie research I learned that this helps them to not spread out as much, making a thicker, chewier cookie, and gives the flavors in the dough time to combine. Then I rolled the dough into balls and placed about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. They won't spread much.
Happy baking! You're welcome. ;)
