These chocolate chip cookies are buttery and delicious. They’re also easy to make and the perfect baking activity to do at home with your kids right now.
This recipe takes its queues from the chocolate chip cookie recipe in the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I like it because it uses common ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, isn't fussy, and makes a strong cookie base. There have been many times I've found myself without an exact ingredient, and I've easily substituted it. With each batch (and there have been several dozens), I’ve adapted it, ending up with a recipe that is uniquely my own.
Over the years, I’ve used semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips — and various combinations of all of the above. They're all delicious. This cookie base is very forgiving and gives you plenty of room to experiment. Some of my family's favorites include:
- Using chopped up candies. I have two kids, and after the holidays, I always have plenty of leftover candy around the house. I let the kids unwrap each candy, then we put them inside plastic bags and hammer away until the candies are in little bits. It's rather noisy, but goes a long way to get some of their pent-up energy out!
- Adding a second ingredient, like marshmallows. A bag of chocolate chips, a bag of marshmallows — what could go wrong? Nothing, with the base in this recipe, which welcomes all sorts of secondary ingredients. If marshmallows aren’t your thing, try hard-shell chocolate candies or nuts.
- Doubling down on the chips. For this batch, I used a 12oz bag of semi-sweet chips and a 12oz bag of milk chocolate chips. The reward was a strong cookie chock full of rich chocolate flavor — and perfect for dunking in milk.
No matter which combination you choose, a sprinkle of sea salt flakes — which I apply just before putting the cookies in the oven — goes a long way. The salt intensifies the flavor in the chocolate while balancing the overall sweetness of the cookie.
The longer cooking time and lower oven temperature, which is up to 50 degrees cooler than other recipes, are what gives these cookies their structure. They come out with crispy edges and a soft center every time. Leave them to cool on the baking sheet for an extra 10 minutes to finish cooking the center while keeping them chewy.
I've heard that homemade cookies will keep for up to five days when stored properly. But I wouldn't know — they don't last for more than a day or two at my house, especially now that we're all working from home!
Big, Buttery, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips
- Sea salt flakes to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixer, add the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until fluffy.
Add the dry ingredients, a scoop at a time, and mix until it’s all incorporated. Add the bag of chocolate chips and mix until everything is combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and evenly space on prepared cookie sheets. Pat down the cookie dough ball and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet before serving.
