The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I don’t remember the first time I was introduced to chocolate chip cookies; however I haven’t met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like. I can imagine this is one of the most sought out recipes online and there are all sorts of variations, however I’m a big believer in the simpler the better. One of my favorite cookbooks is Savory Sweet Life and below is her recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp sea or kosher salt
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is fluffy
3. Add eggs and vanilla then beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium.
4. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated.
5. Add chocolate chips and nuts, mix until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.
6. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
8. Remove from the heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.

Helpful Tips:

– Make sure your ingredients and your oven are at the right temperature.
– A quick way to get an egg to room temperature is to place it in a bowl of warm tap water for about 10 minutes before using it.
– Use good butter, I prefer Kerrygold Brand.
– Vanilla is the traditional flavoring for chocolate chip cookies. Consider adding a little of another extract for a variation, almond perhaps.
– Use the right amount of chocolate. On average 1 cup of chocolate for every cup of flour. Consider using multiple flavors of chocolate chips. I love Ghirardelli brand.
– Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
– Sprinkle cookies with salt to create a more complex flavor. Maldon Sea Salt works really well.
– For a uniformly sized cookie  and even baking, use a small spring-loaded cookie scoop to spoon out the dough. Mine is from Pampered Chef.