The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

If you ask 10 different people what makes the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies, you are likely to get a few different answers.

Although some people like dry, crunchy cookies, most people will agree that there is nothing like taking a bite into a warm, soft cookie that has just come out of the oven.

And this is especially true when the center is filled with chocolate chips that are soft and literally melt in your mouth.

So how do you make cookies that are soft on the inside, and perfectly cooked on the outside? I have explained the critical steps below, including the secret ingredient to the best cookies ever!

BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Corn starch
Salt
Granulated sugar
Dark brown sugar
Unsalted butter, room temperature
Egg, room temperature
Pure vanilla extract
Semisweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making the best chocolate chip cookies that you have ever had is to preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

I recently purchased these silicone mats and I am so upset that I didn’t do it sooner. They have saved me so much money by not having to purchase parchment paper over and over again.

Not to mention, they are a breeze to clean! I highly suggest you make the purchase or request them next time someone wants to purchase a gift for you.

Now that the baking sheets are ready, and the oven is on, it is time to start baking.

In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda, corn starch and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients until they are well incorporated and no lumps remain.

Set the dry mixture side while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Cream The Sugars & Butter

In a large mixing bowl add the room temperature butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the butter is incorporated into the sugar.

Then increase the speed to high until the butter and sugar is light and fluffy. This process may take longer than you think. It usually takes a good 3-4 minutes to become nice and creamy.

Next, add the room temperature egg and vanilla and mix on low speed just until the egg becomes incorporated. Do not over mix the batter at this point.

Stop the mixer when you no longer see the egg yolk and egg whites. Then turn off the mixer and gather the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Turn the mixer on slow and add 1/3 of the flour mixture in with the creamed butter and sugar mixture.

Once the flour begins to get mixed in slowly add the remaining dry ingredients, a little at a time until no flour is visible. Be sure to scrape down the bowl whenever needed.

Once the dry ingredients are incorporated in the batter stir in the chocolate chips using a silicone spatula.

Then cover the bowl with tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and for up to 2 days.

Baking Instructions

Before you bake the chocolate chip cookies it is best to remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. The dough might seem a little crumbly, but it will come together when you form the dough balls.

Using two spoons or a medium size cookie scoop, place 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Form it into a ball and repeat, being sure to space each cookie dough ball 2-inches apart from each other.

*Most medium size cookie scoops (#40) measures 2 tablespoons when completely full. Therefore, don’t fill your cookie scoop completely full if you are trying to make 1.5 tablespoons dough balls.

However, it is okay to use the full scoop if you don’t mind larger cookies and the yield being a little less than two dozen.

Once the cookie dough balls have filled the baking sheet, place them into the preheated oven and bake until lightly brown around the edges. Depending on your oven, his will typically take approximately 11–12 minutes.

Remove the cookies when they are slightly brown around the edges. The center of the cookie will look soft and slightly underdone at this point.

Remove the trays from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The chocolate chip cookies are best stored in an air-tight container with a piece of bread placed in the container so that the cookies remain soft.

Tips & Tricks For Making Soft Cookies

• Use must use room temperature butter. It will typically take butter 1-2 hours to soften at room temperature. However, you do not want to use mushy or hot, melted butter. Otherwise your cookies will spread out way too much during the baking process.

• The type of sugar you use does matter. It is best to use a mixture of both granulated and dark brown sugar. You can adjust the balance of the two sugars, but to make the best chocolate chip cookies you should use a 75%/25% ratio of granulated sugar to dark brown sugar.

• Use a room temperature egg. Because your butter is at room temperature, you want to use other ingredients that are at room temperature as well. Therefore be sure to set out an egg on the counter while you wait for your butter to warm.

• Cornstarch is the secret ingredient.  You may have never thought about mixing in a little cornstarch in your cookie batter. However, corn starch is a thickening agent and will make your chocolate chip cookies the best that you have ever had.

• Chill the dough prior to baking. If you like thick and soft chocolate chip cookies be sure to chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour before baking.

This is a crucial step and one that can not be skipped!

Chilling the dough will help prevent the cookies from spreading and turning out too thin when baked. If you will only be using one baking sheet, then it is best to put the remaining chocolate chip cookie dough back in the refrigerator to remain chilled.

• Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet. Once the cookies come out of the oven, be sure to let them rest on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will continue to bake and set up so that you can easily transfer them with a silicone or metal solid spatula.

• Place a piece of bread where you store your cookies. It best to store your chocolate chip cookies in an air tight container. Then place a plain piece of white or wheat bread in the same container.

The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread, allowing them to remain them nice and soft. Although, make sure to only add 1 piece of bread. Too many pieces can make the cookies too soft and they can spoil quickly.

Other Popular Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
• Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies
• Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookies
• Candy Corn Cookies
• Soft Molasses Cookies

Enjoy! Mary

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