12/27/11

quick and easy chocolate chip cookies

quick & easy cc cookies

If you're like me you hate waiting for the butter to come to room temp to make chocolate chip cookies. You want them now, not in a few hours because by then the craving for the cookies will be gone--well, maybe for some of you.
So you turn to the melted butter version of chocolate chip cookies and turns out they always turn out to be flat: thin and crispy. Which is fine, but I don't always like thin & crispy. I lean more towards the side of thick and chewy with a nice crisp outside.
After a few experiments using a basic cookie recipe from america's test kitchen or cooks county whatever they call themselves today--I found a good one using melted butter that resulted in giant, thick, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookies. It's really all about the right ratio of baking powder to flour to salt and butter. haha. But all that does make a difference if you break it down. Less flour less chewy, more butter more crisp/flakiness, and of course using good quality chocolate helps too as well as using the right kind of chocolate. If you used milk chocolate the cookie might be too sweet, so using a bittersweet won't overpower the chocolate thus making the dough flavor shine through. You all know this already..... just get to the cookie recipe already!

quick & easy cc cookies
Use an ice cream scooper for all cookie doughs. Makes the cookies nice and round and even. Use any size really, just watch the baking times if you use smaller scoops.

quick & easy cc cookies

quick & easy cc cookies

Baking times matter! Of course this is dependent on various ovens, but keep an eye on your cookies after the 10 minute mark. They burn up fast.

quick & easy chocolate chip cookies
based on America’s Test Kitchen
print recipe

2 cups plus 2 TB all-purpose flour
1/2 ts baking soda
¾ TB baking powder
¾ ts sea salt
1 and ½ sticks (12 TB) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 ts pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cook notes: make sure to let the melted butter cool a bit (about 15 minutes before using). When you are ready to use the butter give it a good stir to incorporate the butter solids and fats back together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line about 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. I found that using milk chocolate chips were just too sweet with this dough. Using bittersweet or semi was just right. Always make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh; when they go stale they result in thin tasteless cookies. I love to use ice cream scoopers to make the perfect, round size cookies. I adore large cookies so I used a regular sized ice cream scoop. If you want smaller size cookies, use a smaller ice cream scoop but remember to reduce the baking time a few less minutes!

Whisk all the dry ingredients together; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, either by hand or using a mixer (I don’t have a mixer so I did this by hand) mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. Add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract, mix well. Then add in the dry mixture, mix until just combined, do not overmix. Next FOLD in the chocolate chips (if you want to add in nuts go ahead—about 1 cup).

Using an ice cream scoop, and making sure to compact the dough in the scooper as much as possible, scoop out on baking sheets about 1 & ½ inches apart.
Bake about 11-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. You’ll know the cookies are done by light golden brown edges and slightly puffy middles. As soon as they turn golden brown, in a matter of minutes they turn dark, so take them out, plus they do continue to bake once out of the oven. Don’t try and take them off the cookie sheets, they will just break. Should make about 15-18 large, if using a smaller scoop then you’ll have a few more.

30 comments:

  1. So, I know we're supposed to come up with fancy new recipes. But the thing is, there's nothing better than a good 'ol chocolate chip cookie. Thanks for reminding us of that :)

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  2. Nothing beat a classic chocolate chip cookie. And these look picture perfect amiga!

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  3. Always love a good chocolate chip cookie!! loved your blog, happy holidays!

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  4. All I need is a cold glass of milk! Happy new year,Dawn!

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  5. delicious! i'll file this away for the future. right now, i'm not sure i can stand another cookie :)

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  6. See for me, it's not that the craving passes. It's that I'm just impatient. SO excited to try these! I feel a craving coming on...

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  7. love them...I am a thick and chewy cookie kinda girl.

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  8. I always seem to get my chocolate chip cookies really crispy and that's not how I like them, yours look perfect, so moist and chewy thanks for sharing

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  9. The one thing I am awful at making is chocolate chip cookies. They never turn out right!

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  10. I have a friend who SWEARS by this recipe as the be-all end-all of chocolate chip cookie recipes. I have my favorite but am certainly tempted to give these a try.

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  11. Thanks for the baking time tips! It's so important to get the cookies the right texture and cooking time

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  12. Magnificent! Those would make me happy right now...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  13. I'd probably bake mine about 6 or 8. All raw or nearly raw and gooey is just about perfect...heck, why bother baking. Lol

    Seriously they look great!

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  14. Just the texture we like them at our house too!

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  15. Ils sont superbe et à croquer
    Je te souhaite une belle journée

    Valérie

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  16. Great recipe! I also hate waiting for butter to come up to room temperature. Usually, I try microwaving the butter, but then I end up melting it anyways...

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  17. I am making this cookie! I have been looking for a new recipe since chocolate chip cookies are the favorite at my house.

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  18. i just love simple and easy chocolate chip cookie recipes.
    these look great, i think i'd opt for the 12 min baking time.
    i like the new header!

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  19. I've wanted to investigate how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie for some time now. I love that you took time to photograph the times baked. I need some chocolate chip cookies in my life, like today!!

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  20. mmm Can't wait to give this recipe a try. I too tend to be impatient when it comes to waiting for the butter to come to room temp. Thanks for sharing. The pictures look awesome.

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  21. Love this post! You know I am always up for cookies! Happy New Year my friend! xoxo

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  22. I'm glad you did some research on this recipe. I've always wondered about it. They look perfect. Happy new Year!

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  23. I keep a few scoops of cc cookie dough in the freezer just in case I crave a fresh cookie. Just enough scoops for one tray of cookies. :-)

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  24. burned chocolate chip cookies make me tear up--what a waste! :)

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  25. I like your little experiment :) Chocolate chip cookies always just hit the spot!

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  26. Send me some cookies! I'm too tired to bake...even something quick

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  27. A classic with good reason!

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  28. those look perfect, at 14min ;) maybe even a little less haha

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  29. I really am looking for the perfect chocolate chip recipe and these look so good! Hope you have a wonderful new year!

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  30. These cookies look incredible! Nothing better than a big chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk! Happy new year! :)

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