Print

my go-to chocolate chip cookie + some variations

Print Recipe

This is very lightly adapted from Tara O’Brady’s recipe in her fantastic cookbook, Seven Spoons, and it is my go-to recipe:
an easy, streamlined process that makes cookies that are thick and hefty, with a crisp edge and a fudgy, velvety center, chocolate puddled on top and rippled throughout, and a butterscotch note underneath. My only variations were to suit my personal preference–a bit more chocolate, a tad less salt and baking powder, and some notes on what flours I like to use.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, or 8 ounces) butter
  • 3 ¼ cups (406 grams) all-purpose flour (though I prefer a combination of flours in the Notes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 ounces chopped dark chocolate, or a mix of chopped and chocolate chips
  • flaky sea salt, for topping

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat, or in the microwave in 15-second increments. Take care that the butter does not sizzle. (See Notes.)
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and whisk in the sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until just combined. Stir in the vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir in the dry ingredients until barely blended. When things are still looking a bit floury, stir in the chocolate until all of the ingredients are just combined. Use a large cookie scoop or your hands to shape the dough into large 2-ounce (or even 3-ounce) balls, then place in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and ideally 24-36 hours. They can also be frozen at this point, which I love doing.
  3. After the dough has rested, preheat the oven to 360 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Space 8-9 of the dough balls on the baking sheet, or as many as will comfortably fit several inches apart, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the tops are cracked and lightly golden, 15-18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They may take less time, depending on the size of your cookies, or more. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, the move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I like to use chocolate chip cookies as a repository for all the random flours I have in my pantry, but I know that recommending two or three flours for an everyday recipe is a little fussy. Still, if you’re curious, my favorite mix is about half and half bread and cake flour by weight (200 grams each), or, in the case of the craggy cookies pictured above, a mix of bread flour, cake flour, and a whole grain flour like white whole wheat, sprouted wheat, rye, spelt, etc. I find that a mix of flours adds a nice depth and nuttiness that I love. As long as it adds up to around 400-410 grams, I’ve found that all sorts of experiments will work and are delicious.

For a rosemary-walnut twist, add 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary to the melted butter before whisking with the sugars, and ½ to 1 cup chopped walnuts to the dough with the chocolate chips.

Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2017/12/20/cookies-christmas-pjs/