Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think every mother, or aspiring mother, strives to find the world’s best chocolate chip cookie recipe, thereby crowning herself the “World’s Best Mother”. Like Monica in a classic Friends episode, I too searched for the world’s best recipe. I thought I had already succeeded with Cook’s Illustrated Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, as I’ve made that recipe countless times for different people and they all agreed that the cookies were amazing. I never imagined another recipe could replace them as the best, but this recipe for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie blows them out of the water, and the folks at Cook’s Illustrated have literally outdone themselves. Browning the butter and using a larger than usual quantity of brown sugar elevates this cookie to new heights with it’s rich, buttery, toffee undertones contrasted with an intensely rich yet balanced chocolaty sensation coming from the chips.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I seriously have the world’s greatest mom. She sacrificed a career that she loved and was respected in for something she loved even more – staying home with her children. Unfortunately, growing up she made – and I’m not going to sugar coat things here – a pretty terrible chocolate chip cookie. She’d use the basic Tollhouse recipe, but instead of using softened and creamed butter, the butter would go in the microwave until it was melted. This yielded hard, flat disks that crunched loud enough when I bit into them that they were heard clear across the room. (I now know melting the butter didn’t work for her because there wasn’t enough brown sugar to soften the mixture, but that’s beside the point.) Although her cookies were less than desirable, my three siblings and I were exuberant whenever she would have them ready when we came home from school. I still remember when I was five years old, coming home in tears after my first experience with the unthinking cruelty of a close friend. I poured my heart out to my mom over one of her cookies and a glass of milk and slowly but surely began to feel better. I didn’t realize it then, but it wasn’t the cookie that made the world’s greatest mom, it’s the way my mom shared them that naturally led to a lifelong association of chocolate chip cookies with warmth, love, and comfort.

My own “World’s Greatest Mom” title may still be in the making, but it doesn’t hurt that now I actually do have the most perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe to make for my kids all thanks to Cook’s Illustrated. J

Look at that crackle!

My daughter, Mia. I think it's safe to say here that she loves these cookies!

A scrumptious mountain of the perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cook’s Note: Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)

½ teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

½ cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

¾ cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used Ghiradelli’s Bittersweet Chips)

¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Makes 16 Cookies

Source: May, 2009 Cook’s Illustrated