Diva In The Kitchen: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot believe I have yet to share this recipe with all of you!  This is my GO TO cookie recipe since I stumbled upon it three years ago.

Heather, over at Heather Drive, posted about these perfectly amazing, moist and chewy cookies.  Well, who is gonna resist making those?  These cookies are BIG; I usually get 16 to 18 from one batch.  But that is part of what makes them as delectable as they are.

Plate by Brilliant Glass Works



The outside is a beautiful brown with firm edges and the inside is soft and chewy like a cookie should be.  And you can substitute the chocolate chips for anything you want to put in your cookie.  I've done white chocolate and macadamia nuts.  I've added pecans or walnuts.  You can do M&Ms or Reese's Pieces or mini peanut butter cups.  The possibilities are endless!  And they come out AWESOME every time.

So go get that oven heating up and make these right now! (and you probably want to be able to send them AWAY as fast as possible before you eat the entire batch.  Trust me.  I have sent these to work with Mr. Diva so they aren't home alone with me.)


Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated)
Makes approximately 18 large cookies

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp. (10 5/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
- 1 cup packed (7 oz.) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 - 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 spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

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 to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough (since I weighed the dough, I did 2.2 oz. per cookie) into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 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 grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.



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