Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever

17.02.2012Jackie Dodd-Mallory(Senior Editor) 62 Comments

Here I am with a super bold statement of "Best Ever."

Finding the perfect cookie recipe for what you love in a cookie is a bit of a personal journey. Figuring out what you want, and how to make that happen. For me, I love a cookie to be soft, chewy, puffy without being cakey and the perfect amount of chocolate chips.

I did my research. Years of baking, problem solving, reading and asking people.

Consulting pastry chefs, New York times articles, Grandmas, kids, chocolate companies, and my big Sister.

It all finally paid off. This recipe is based on the famous and ground breaking New York Times 36 hour, Jaques Torres recipe with a bunch of additional advice and changes.

I like to call them Thursday Night Cookies, because if you want to have them over the weekend, you should probably start making them on Thursday night. The wait is worth it, I promise.

If you like the kind of cookies that I like, you will love these.

Thursday Night Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp corn starch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt, plus 1/2 tsp divided
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups dark chocolate chips

(makes about 30 cookies)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch and 1 tsp salt. All types of flour have different properties and will produce difference results, the combination of these two different types gives you cookies that are both soft and chewy. You won’t get these results if you just use one type or if you use all-purpose flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with both types of sugar, scraping the bottom of the bowl periodically to ensure the ingredients are well combined. Add the eggs, one at at time, and then the vanilla, beat very well and scraping the inside of the bowl between addition.
Reduce speed on the stand mixer to low and add the dry ingredients until just barely combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the butter and flour are all combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated. You don’t want to over mix or your cookies will be tough.
This is where you will need some self control. The butter needs to reconstitute as a solid or the cookies won’t cook well. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl and press it against the top of the cookie dough, making a tight seal.
Place the cookies in the refrigerator to chill for at least 24 hours, preferably 36 hours. This is important, don’t skip this step or the cookies will spread and become dry and crispy.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and using a cookie scoop, or an ice cream scoop, make balls of dough that are a bit larger than a golf ball. Place on a baking sheet, with ample space between each cookie. Sprinkle lightly with the remaining salt. (Only about 6 cookies will fit on a standard cookie sheet.)
Bake each cookie sheet one at a time for 21-23 minutes (*Note: Jaques Torres and I got this cooking time, but I hear from others that they are getting much shorter cooking times. Keep a close eye on your first batch) or until the cookies are just starting to get a light golden brown. Don’t over bake, the cookies will continue to bake about an additional 10 percent after being removed from the oven. Immediately transfer to a wire rack or a row of paper towels. (Here is a great tip from Michelle Tepper: Try cooking on parchment paper and just sliding the whole sheet off of the cookie tray and onto the counter to cool.)

*if you absolutly CAN NOT wait 36 hours, here is the only shortcut I will allow, although the cookies won’t be AS good:
Once the cookie dough is made, scoop the large golf ball sized cookies onto the cookie sheets, cover and then chill them for at LEAST 4 hours. Not one second shorter. This will only work if the dough is in a ball on the cookie sheet, not if it is still in the bowl.

Follow me on twitter

Follow me on Pinterest

Like Domestic Fits on Facebook

Pin this post!

Oatmeal Stout Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Chocolate Chip and Beer Caramel Cookie Bars
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Stout Chocolate Chip Cookies

tweet mail

Creamy Kale Pesto Pasta

The Help: Minny’s Caramel Cake

Comments

Colleen BierstineFebruary 17, 2012 um 2:46 pm

I LOVE a good chocolate chip cookie! These definitely sound like a recipe for success. Wanna send a couple dozen my way?

MelissaAugust 7, 2012 um 8:00 am

I am not a baker, but I have made it a goal to have three really kick-ass things I can bake for people. I chose wisely, and the other two recipes I have perfected aren’t easy–both are Italian: pizzelles like my gramma used to make, and Torta della Nonna–but these chocolate chip cookies are always what get people’s attention. (Probably because they don’t have anise in them!)

I love, love, love this recipe because the cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy (but not raw!) on the inside. I also like that it takes 24-36 hours to make. Cuts down on the baking fatigue factor.

A few of my own tips:
–Use the extra-big morsel dark chocolate chips.

–I flatten (not roll) the dough out then cut the cookies into squares before baking. They do this at Specialties Bakery (I know it’s a chain, but their cookies are good.) and they seem to cook more evenly this way.

–Use good, natural sea salt for the sprinkle on the top. It makes a difference.

–Instead of bread flour, I use something called Peak Performer made by Giusto’s Vita-Grain. It is ground at a fineness between a bread flour and and all purpose flour. It makes excellent bread and pizza (if you don’t use 00 for pizza, that is.) It might be hard to find since it’s made in San Francisco, where I live. But I think it’s the best.

Happy baking!

CassieFebruary 17, 2012 um 6:23 pm

Can you believe I haven’t tried these? I’m too big a fan of Cook’s Illustrated chocolate chip cookies to stray. I do need to try them though, these look amazing!

JackieFebruary 18, 2012 um 8:00 am

I totally get that. I’m pretty loyal to Cooks Illustrated Foolproof pie dough, but I’ve never tried the cookie recipe. This did turn out pretty amazing, I think I finally found a cookie recipe I’ll stick to!

SaraFebruary 17, 2012 um 10:01 pm

Are the cookies easy to transfer immediately? I have often found that I have to leave mine on the pan for a minute to firm up more, but this to me would seem to lead to over baking?? I have had one too many gooey cookies fall through the cracks of my racks… not that I mind scraping up these "whoopsies!"

Very intriguing recipe and the bold declaration calls my rebellious cynicism (or my chocolate addiction?) to wake and rise to the occasion 🙂

JackieFebruary 18, 2012 um 8:04 am

I could transfer them pretty soon, maybe a minute. I put them on paper towels because I think it’s easier. I really love a soft chewy cookie, so these were perfect for me!

Damian ButelFebruary 18, 2012 um 12:50 am

Thank you for this post it is very knowledgable and this recipe. I was skeptical about it too, but once i made it, I will never make another cookie recipe again. I love it. It is the best.

Blog is the New BlackFebruary 18, 2012 um 5:03 am

These look awesome! I’ve found that letting the dough rest def makes them taste the best!

chinmayie @ love food eatFebruary 18, 2012 um 5:43 am

There can never be too many chocolate chip cookie recipes!! These look great 🙂

CoreenFebruary 18, 2012 um 8:21 am

I’ve been meaning to make Jacques Torres’s recipe for a while, but I feel guilty cheating on my regular recipe. They look so good!

JackieFebruary 18, 2012 um 1:29 pm

I would love to know what you think of the Jacques Torres recipe vs yours, you have a great recipe.

DanijelaFebruary 19, 2012 um 12:56 am

These 36 hours are just too much for my cooking style, but 4 hours are acceptable, thanks. 🙂 I am sure these cookies are delicious.

Michelle TepperFebruary 19, 2012 um 10:08 am

Try cooking on parchment paper and just sliding the whole sheet off of the cookie tray and onto the counter to cool.

JackieFebruary 19, 2012 um 10:12 am

Thats a great tip! I’ll try that next time for sure 🙂

sunalaFebruary 19, 2012 um 7:08 pm

One question: Do you completely melt the butter first? Do you melt and then cool?

JackieFebruary 20, 2012 um 8:43 am

You don’t melt the butter at all.

KenFebruary 20, 2012 um 6:50 am

The best recipe is the standard Toll House recipe. The secret is not cook them so long. Really 20+ minutes. I make cookies at least 3 times the size of those pictured and never cook them longer than 12 to 14 minutes. When I make cookies for the office I never bring any home. If you see golden brown in the oven the cookie is burned.

JackieFebruary 20, 2012 um 8:38 am

I grew up making the Toll House recipe and it is good, but I think the changes Jaques Torres made were significant. Mainly, allowing the cookies to rest and chill give them much more of an expensive bakery taste. Also, I add corn starch to allow them to stay together and not spread out as much during cooking. Also, this isn’t a recipe that needs to be under-baked, like Toll House does, in order to have a gooey, soft center. Once these cookies are a light golden, they are perfect, not burnt. Being that they are chilled, right out of the fridge is the reason they need more than 12-14 minutes like a Toll House batch at room temperature.

Using two kinds of flour is the only way to get cookies that are chewy, all purpose flour has too low of a gluten content to allow cookies to be very chewy.

The cookies in my picture are pretty large, about 4 inches across. That is why I say that only 6 fit on a standard baking sheet. If yours are 3-4 times larger, they must be the size of a plate.

KenFebruary 20, 2012 um 9:07 am

Your cookies are FLAT mine stand tall and spread very little.
That is where I get the size difference.
The cookies pictured look totally unappetizing I am sorry.
Friends fight over mine.
I’ll send you pictures someday.

JoJuly 25, 2012 um 1:29 pm

Ken, I completely disagree. These cookies look AMAZING and don’t knock it til you try it, these cookies have a fabulous taste and texture. If yours are three times the size of a golf ball before baking and they spread very little, they must be like cupcakes, not cookies.

Mary LouFebruary 25, 2012 um 12:57 pm

I am looking forward to tryin this recipe! However I live at 7,500ft above sea level. Is there some kind of a change I need to make to either the recipe or cooking time/temp?
Thanks!

JackieFebruary 25, 2012 um 1:55 pm

I have no idea, I live in Los Angeles so I’ve never baked at high altitudes. I bet you have had a lot of frustration over the years while baking! Try this website for baking at high altitude help:
http://www.highaltitudebaking.com/

PortiaFebruary 20, 2012 um 8:52 am

Not sure what Ken is running his mouth about, but these are AMAZING. The best ever

JoelFebruary 20, 2012 um 11:45 am

Toll House recipe the best??? Sorry Ken…not a chance. They’re OK, but nowhere near the best! And there are few things that I would say are best from Cooks Illustrated. CI has good pointers for very basic things (like pie dough), but that’s about it (I own both CI’s 'Best Recipe' and CI’s 'Baker’s Illustrated'). This recipe sounds great, but time consuming. I’ll definitely give them a try, but I have a phenomenal recipe for CC cookies with oatmeal. Honestly, one of my fav cookie recipes ever…they come out with a slight crisp on the outside and are definitely chewy on the inside…and only using AP flour (sorry to disagree, but you can get chewy cookies using only all-purpose flour).

JackieFebruary 20, 2012 um 12:00 pm

I’ll have to make the CI and the BI versions next time, I’m intrigued by all the comments about them! I’d love to know what is different about your Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, would love to give them a try 🙂
Do you use King Arthur AP flour? it has a higher gluten content than store generic store bough so the chewy factor is higher, I should mentioned that not all AP flours are the same.

BobFebruary 20, 2012 um 1:03 pm

Ken sounds like a moron. Or a seven year old. Not sure which one.

CoreenFebruary 20, 2012 um 1:46 pm

If cookies are not light golden in color, they are underbaked. Golden cookies are the sign of carmelized sugar. If you make the toll house recipe and underbake the cookies, you get doughy (not chewy) cookies in which the sugars are uncarmelized. Sorry, Ken, but you can’t get chewy cookies with the toll house recipe, even with your "secret" of underbaking them so they’re anemic and medium rare. Yuck.

TimFebruary 20, 2012 um 7:55 pm

My cookies just came out of the oven and, wow. They really are the best chocolate chip cookies, ever. Thanks for the recipe!

JackieFebruary 20, 2012 um 8:15 pm

YAY!! SO glad you like them 🙂

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever - Domestic Fits (2024)

Related Posts

Creamy Kale Pesto Pasta

The Help: Minny’s Caramel Cake