The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie: Tried and true and almost good for you
Happy Anniversary to me! Yup. Eleven years. Compared to my friends celebrating their 35th year, it doesn’t sound like much of an accomplishment… but, it is more than I had ever dreamed of…As Vanja is away on “our” holiday visiting his parents in the former Yugoslavia this month, this is our first anniversary apart. Last year was our big ten-oh, yet, with mom in the hospital at the time, my dream of “the tenth” didn’t pan out. We were not on the Eiffel Tower toasting to our future. Sometimes celebration dreams are like that. I never thought I would be married to anyone for 10 years, and a trip to Paris isn’t as outrageous as it may sound… yet, a bad time for it, and then time drifted… away….. sigh…And this year? Well, we certainly didn’t plan to be apart, but dad was ill again, and Vanja needed to see his parents. It really isn’t that big of a deal, but it feels like it is. Why is that?
Anyway, my eldest daughter is living at home again (between relationships), so she and I celebrated by ordering in. Though I do love cooking, today I just didn’t feel like it. She was making cupcakes for work. I was separating concord grape skins from their pulpy centres for a pie, and jam and hopefully ice cream… ordering in seemed like the perfect solution for our already very busy kitchen.
After noshing from the take out trays, I wanted a little something sweet. Ordering in Chinese food is not healthy. So, going for broke, I decided to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I make them and freeze them individually on cookie sheets, then pack them into ziplock bags, labelled of course, for just such self-indulgent (or self-destructive) occasions.
So, happy anniversary to me! One cookie, two cookie, three cookie, four, five cookie, six cookie, seven cookie: MORE! No. Really. I stopped at four. I could have had 11. It was my eleventh anniversary, remember? So, I believe I did show restraint. Anyway. These cookies hit my lonely little sweet spot and I am pretty certain you will find that this is the ultimate chocolate chip cookie should you make them. I have made tens of chocolate chip cookie recipes and stopped after making this one which is a combination of, oh, so many, and, as I said already: the ultimate chocolate chip cookie.
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie: Mise en Place
Mis en place. My daughter thinks this is a big waste of time and that it dirties too many dishes. I say: What’s a dishwasher for? I enjoy gathering everything I need and getting that sense of what is going into each recipe. We made a double batch as I almost always do. It isn’t any more work, and I freeze most of them for unexpected company, anyway. Unexpected company? Do you hear that? Come. (Well, with a little notice.)
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie: Making the Batter
Of course, you do not need a Thermomix to make chocolate chip cookies, it just makes it so much easier and no mixer can create the texture of the sugar, butter and egg mixture like the Thermomix machine.
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie: Shaping the Cookies
I use a small ice cream scoop to make the balls for the cookies, leaving enough space for them to spread on the tray if baking right away. If freezing, instead, then closer together on the cookie sheet makes the most sense. Each ball gets flattened before baking or freezing.
The length of time in the oven will dramatically affect the texture of the cookie. If you like them crisp, bake longer. If you like them chewy, bake them less. This cookie will be crisp and chewy when baked less, which is what I like about it. Crisp around the edges, and chewy in the middle. The cookie batter is delicious when baked. I have thought about making these cookies without chocolate chips, I enjoy the cookie so much on its own. Below is the crispy cookie.
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie: Baking the Cookies
My dad likes them dark and crisp. They are delicious this way, too. Side by side with the others, they appear over baked, but on their own, they just appear deliciously crisp!
The fancy-schmancy plate and glass elevate the chocolate chip cookie with milk experience considerably. Pinky up. But eating four was a little self-deprecating. Three would have been more… acceptable. Next time, I will stop at the usual two… three will be only a possibility. Four? Overkill. The fourth cookie didn’t even taste good. (I lie.) Please let me know what your ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe is, and by all means, try this one!
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie
Having taught cooking to 12-15 year old teens at school for a few years, I got to test several chocolate chip cookie recipes. This is one of my two favourites: "the ultimate". Makes 48 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups of unsalted butter , softened (or one pound, room temperature)
- 2½ cups of white granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 cups of flour
- 3-4 cups of chocolate chips
Instructions
Instructions for the Cookies:
-
Preheat oven to 375°F
-
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy
-
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing thoroughly
-
Stir baking soda and salt into the flour mixture; fold flour into the wet ingredients
-
Add the chocolate chips and knead into the dough by hand; form into balls (the dough is on the dry side)
-
Place 12 balls of cookie dough on parchment covered cookie sheet; flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand, or the bottom of a glass (push any dough bits that scatter away from the "cookie" back into the cookie)
-
Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown; turning the cookie sheet around inside of the oven 5 minutes
-
If you want the cookies crispy, leave on the cookie sheet to cool; if you want them chewy, remove from the cookie sheet to a cool surface immediately
Instructions for the Cookies with the Thermomix:
-
Preheat oven to 375°F
-
Scale room temperature butter and sugar into the TM bowl; insert the butterfly and cream together butter and sugar for 4 minutes at speed 3-4, until fluffy
-
During the last minute, add eggs and vanilla through the hold in the lid
-
Remove the butterfly, scraping the wet ingredients back into the TM bowl
-
Scale 3 cups of the flour into the TM bowl on top of the wet ingredients; sift baking soda and salt over top
-
Set the lid to closed lid position, and using the knob from 0-7, slowly work to combine the batter, about 30 seconds
-
When just combined, pour all ingredients into a large bowl, add chocolate chips and the remaining flour, and knead dough together by hand
-
Place 12 balls of cookie dough on parchment covered cookie sheet; flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand, or the bottom of a glass (push any dough bits that scatter away from the "cookie" back into the cookie)
-
Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown; turning the cookie sheet around inside of the oven 5 minutes
-
If you want the cookies crispy, leave on the cookie sheet to cool; if you want them chewy, remove from the cookie sheet to a cool surface immediately
Recipe Notes
Cookie dough freezes perfectly just before baking point. Place on cookie sheets, flatten and flash freeze. When frozen, pack 6-12 into labelled dated zip lock bags and freeze. To bake right out of the freezer:
Preheat oven to 375˚ F
Place frozen cookies on parchment covered cookie sheet
Bake 12 minutes for a softer cookie and 14 minutes for a crispy one
If not frozen, bake 8-10 minutes
Happy Anniversary, make sure there are still lots of cookies for Vanja when he gets home!
Hahaha!
Believe it or not, he is not a cookie guy, but there are LOTS! He loves creamy desserts: tiramisu, pavolva, triffles, that kind of thing.
Thanks, Mallory!
V
I love it that you still celebrated. Every year of marriage is worth celebrating, and the bonus is you’ll get to celebrate twice – once on the day itself and once more with your loved one himself. (Plus those cookies look good enough to pull out twice!)
So funny, Margaret,
As a single woman, I always grew long stemmed roses and lots of flowers in my garden, and when they were gone, would buy myself fresh flowers every week from the store. My friends thought I was a little self indulgent, I think. But, it gave me such pleasure and it didn’t even cross my mind that someone else should be buying me flowers. And, odder still, not that I am married, I never buy myself flowers. I am going to have to change that!
So, yup. It was fun to celebrate, anyway!
🙂
Valerie
Happy anniversary Valerie! Your biscuits look delicious!
Thank you, Lizzy!
So wonderful to have a warm wish from you! The cold frosty air is blowing outside today and this is the first time I fear that snow may be on its way… and you are just about to hail Spring!
🙂
Valerie
Hi Valerie. I’ve read this post over a few times already. And today I read it again to the mister. We have had times in our lives too where life gets in the way of our special milestones. Either the day is complicated by another important focus or worse, we are apart. I agree that it is good to mark the day if you can in its own small, special way. Your post resonated with me because Chocolate Chip Cookies are the absolute favourite of the darling husband and also the charming son. They have always said that my mother’s cookies were the best CCC ever. Despite my prowess in the baking kitchen, even with her recipe in hand, I have never been able to make them so that they turn out the same. I have even steered off the trail and pursued other CCC recipes, hoping to take that coveted spot of ‘best’ CCC with my boys. I have high hopes that your recipe can clinch their very chocolate-y hearts. Interestingly, my father also preferred a darker, crispier cookie – especially his peanut butter cookie. We are peculiar creatures when it comes to our sweet treats. Thank you for sharing. I love coming by to visit your blog.
Hi, Anne…
Well, you are pretty good at reading between the lines, I see…
I have the best husband in the world. I really, really do…
I am pretty sure this recipe will find the two men in your family satisfied. Like all “ultimate” recipes, you have to watch them that last minute in the oven. From frozen, I pull them out at 12 minutes with my oven.
My dad is loves his peanut butter cookies crisp, too – and his coconut oatmeal. So funny. I like them all chewy. It is kind of fun to have a bit (and I do mean a bit, as everything happens in slow motion these days) more time.
Thank YOU, Anne, for taking the time to make my day.
Wish you would join The Canadian Food Experience Project!
🙂
Valerie
I told my sweetie that you like to take photos of your food for your posts. LOTS of them. No wonder with a dozen subliminal shots of cookies from every angle that I succumbed. The butter is in the bowl coming to room temperature and I am about to my mis en place. I too am a believer that the dishwasher should pull its weight. But I will only do a half batch tonight. Just one cup of butter. I met with Dale from Eats Writes Shoots for a chat and we talked about my need to be in on the challenge. I really thought I was set to do Preserving. And then life took over my heart again. October 7 is the day my dad died. I ended up doing a post on him instead of my planned braised red cabbage post. By coincidence, the post did have the word ‘preserving’ in it, since my dad is my favourite Canadian farmer. Now I need to get geared up to think about Harvesting. You will get me on board yet.
Dearest Anne
I have not been reading posts like I usually do – due to my own dad’s illness. Just keeping up with reading those in The Canadian Food Experience Project is about all I can handle at this time – so I will go back now, and read your post. I am sorry I missed it. I would love to have your comment about how the cookies turned out – and get DH to explain what mom’s has on these so both of us “get it”. 🙂 I think that the “mom” might be the missing ingredient… too bad you do not have her recipe. About the project. Posting on the 7th is desired, but no essential… and you can get the posts done and send them to me when you do them, and I would be tickled to add them to the project round ups… these will be a collection that I hope to use in the future and will always be a base for who we are.
XO
V
I believe this is my mother’s recipe but I am not 100% sure. 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips. The boys loved hers because they had a crispness to them that they say yours have too. In fact, the darling son thought yours were as good as his Grandma’s. He didn’t have a taste of one until day two. Victory. When I made this recipe that I think is my mom’s, they came out to cake-y. If that is a word for cookies. I agree, that ‘mom’ is likely the missing ingredient. Though I am pretty thrilled that the boys love yours just as much.
Now I have to check out my “other” ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. I do have two – the other one I haven’t written about either, surprisingly enough… but the dough sinks a little and they are chewier than this one… but reading your mom’s, it looks the same.
Will let you know when I find it… and that may take awhile!
🙂
V
I like all the CCC recipes that I have tried so far because I can’t resist them 🙂
Helene,
I haven’t met a boughten one that I like. I am surprised they all taste so bad.
🙂
V
Thanks, Valerie! That’s a delicious and dead-simple cookie recipe at the same time. Looks and tastes yummy!
Elis,
ChocolateTales
Have you made this recipe, Elis?
🙂
V
Yes, Valerie. Me and my co-workers liked it a lot! Thanks again!
Best regards,
Elis
corporate events toronto
That is fantastic news, Elis!
🙂
Valerie
Thanks for this recipe, Valerie. I made these this morning, and they turned out so beautifully, both how they look and how they taste! I froze half the batch and baked the rest. Love the idea of always being 15 minutes away from fresh-baked cookies!
I was looking for the ultimate choco chip cookies and found yours. Will make them this weekend. Thanks for this recipe
Puneeta
You must let me know how they turn out for you!
🙂
Valerie