The photogenic look of them is sub par - doesn't matter. They taste amazing.
But my brilliant friend Jessica (by way of Martha Stewart) gave a tip: put the cookie sheets with cookie dough already scooped on them into the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
I'll try that next time, so the cookies aren't so flat.
And also, I should try coating the chocolate chips in flour before baking so they don't sink to the bottom.
Again; none of this matters. The taste is wonderful.
OK, on with the recipe!
( I halved the recipe listed below and made about 12 giant cookies)
The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes about 23 3-inch round cookies
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
¾ cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
7 oz chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate; use whichever you prefer)
Directions:
1) Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
2) Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on low speed until it is smooth and lump free. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
3) Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
4) On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are just incorporated. If using a hand mixer, use a wooden spoon to stir them in. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour, and preferably 24-36 hours. (yeah, I didn't do this......)
5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust racks to lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. (Or don't. I used a plain, ungreased, non stick cookie sheet that worked perfectly. (*see note at bottom about Silpats)
Spoon the dough 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets.
6) Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft, almost underdone-looking, in the center. Turn the sheets front to back and switch racks halfway through.
Remove the sheet from the oven and carefully slide the parchment or Silpats directly onto a work surface. When cookies are set, remove them to a cooling rack.
Enjoy the amazement.
*Silpats:
OK, so these Silpats are very fancy non stick baking mats, and I was so excited to finally get one. Well.....My cookies on the plain cookie sheet actually turned out better. The ones on the Silpat were very underdone on the bottoms and therefore were actually harder to get off of my supposedly fabulously non-stick new baking mat.
Hmmmmmm
On another note, my wonderful friend Traci sent me her extra felt she didn't need to add to my flower hair clip supplies....look how much she sent! How exciting!!! Thanks!!!
Traci make awesome crochet items, check out her Etsy site, HERE, too!
I will be posting several new hair clips soon, and Halloween themed ones after that!
Stay tuned to my Etsy site!
