If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This is me trying to bake perfect chocolate chip cookies. I always ended up with really flat cookies. I knew it had something to do with the temperature of the butter but whether I used melted, browned, room temperature or chilled butter I always ended up with flat cookies.
Luckily I figured out the problem…just in time for the holidays: CHILL YOUR DOUGH before you bake. Yes, unless you want really flat cookies you really need to let your cookie dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or longer). What you are doing by chilling the cookie dough is giving the butter the time to solidify. As you bake, the butter will then take longer to melt, which means your dough won’t spread quite so quickly.
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. She calls it ‘THE’ Chocolate Chip Cookie, and I have to say I totally agree. Her recipe includes cornstarch. Not a typical ingredient used to bake chocolate chip cookies, but when you add cornstarch it softens the harsh proteins in the flour allowing your dough to bake tender and chewy.
Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate All-American cookie. Make it all year round, but definitely more during the holiday season.
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are soft and thick chocolate chip cookies. No more flat cookies!!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup or more (depending on your love for chocolate) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks.
Directions
- Step 1 Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt) into a large bowl. Mix gently to combine. Set aside.
- Step 2 In a separate large bowl beat the butter until creamy. Add in both brown and granulated sugar and mix until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Step 3 Using a hand-held mixer or simply a spatula, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough should be thick.
- Step 4 Add the chocolate chips until distributed evenly.
- Step 5 Once you have your cookie dough made you need to shape them into dough balls before you chill. It doesn’t matter how small or big, but I recommend about a tablespoon for each dough ball. Place them on a baking sheet (or parchment paper) and let them chill in the refrigerator (at least an hour is best to let them harden). You can leave the dough balls in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before you bake.
- Step 6 You can alternatively freeze your dough balls and bake at a later time. Set the frozen dough balls on the counter for at least 30 min before you bake. You may need to increase the baking time for an extra minute. No need to completely thaw.
- Step 7 To bake, preheat oven to 350F (177 degrees Celsius). Line 2 large baking sheets (or one at a time if you don’t have 2) with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Bake 10-12 minutes until barely golden brown around the edges. They will look extremely soft when you remove them but remember they are still baking as they set. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them onto a cooling rack.
- Step 8 Enjoy with a tall glass of very cold milk. Happy dunking!