
I am a SWEETS person. I love all things with sugar. Pies, cakes, brownies, donuts, ice-cream…..you name it and I can honestly say I probably would never turn it down.
THAT BEING SAID…..I LOVE cookies. I am a cookie connoisseur. I have had them across the globe – all different flavors and styles (some super gooey; others dense and cakey; others thin and crispy) and I tend to think of myself as a cookie snob.
My favorite flavor of cookie happens to be chocolate chip. YES, I know they are simple and maybe they are boring to you – but there is NOTHING like a warm chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk. That is the ultimate sense of heaven!
I have been known to dabble in baking and cooking and I thoroughly enjoy it. I will say that I tend to bake more in the fall and winter when there are events to go to and hostess gifts to take. I love a good pumpkin roll or Mexican wedding cookies and have even known to bake up a batch of super delicious brownies every now and then!
But – chocolate chip cookies are just so wholesome and yummy I bake them all year round. Because today is none other than National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, I thought I would share my favorite recipes with you and inspire you to whip up a batch to share with your loved ones!
#1) MY TOP FAVORITE
– Averie Cooks The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie You have probably seen her photos on Pinterest so many times, but this is my GO-TO-TURNS-OUT-PERFECT-EVERY-SINGLE-TIME recipe. I have made it so often that I don’t even need the recipe anymore! It’s also easy to make because I keep all the ingredients on hand in my pantry.
Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not ‘cook & serve’)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- one-12 ounce bag (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Trader Joe’s)
DIRECTIONS:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
I adore Averie (and have followed her blog for years now) because she literally gives you all the tools and tips to have the perfect cookies every time! (See below from Averie Cooks)
Tips for The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Make sure the butter is truly soft. If it’s not, cheat and zap it in the micro for 5 to 10 seconds. It’s best to plan ahead and set your butter out 2 to 4 hours ahead of time, but it’s better to cheat with the micro than try to cream cold butter. Your dough will seem overly dry and crumbly after adding the dry ingredients if your butter wasn’t sufficiently softened. I used Trader Joe’s unsalted butter.
- Use a high-quality flour like King Arthur. It has just a bit more protein (gluten) than other brands so your baked goods have more structure and will rise higher.
- Chill the dough so the cookies bake up thick and don’t spread as much.
- Underbake so the cookies are (almost) as good on the third day as they are right out of the oven.
- Bake on a Silpatbecause it provides traction so the cookies don’t slip-and-slide around a slippery greased baking sheet.
- Use a cookie scoop. I first portion out the dough with the scoop so all the mounds are the same size, and then I smooth them out with my hands so they’re perfectly smooth.
- Strategically re-positioning the chocolate chips while smoothing the mounds.
#2 A Brilliant Silver Medalist
-Sally’s Baking Addiction The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Again, a Pinterest sensation! I have been following Sally since she was a newlywed baking in her apartment kitchen. (haha….I wonder if she will ever read this one day! I love you, Sally!) Her recipe is actually very similar to Averie’s except that instead of PUDDING MIX – she uses Cornstarch. Also, very easy to have on hand.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
-
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cup (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the chocolate chips and mix for about 5 seconds until evenly distributed. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together if you work the dough with your hands as you roll into individual balls. Roll balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
#3 A Fantastic Runner- Up!
–Crazy for Crust Better Than Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies I just tried this out YESTERDAY in preparation for the National Holiday! (Yes, I’m one of those people! 🙂 I wanted to have something a bit different and change up my cookie game. These babies did NOT disappoint! I will say that I used both a stoneware cookie sheet AND a metal baking sheet with my Silpat and they turned out better on the metal baking sheet and Silpat. (The bloggers aren’t kidding – those things are life-changing!) I also omitted the nuts because I didn’t have any hand and I wasn’t going to drag the kids back to the grocery store after going for more chocolate chips and Old Fashioned Oats. One downside was the fact that I had to make a special trip to the store for these because I don’t keep oats on hand, but maybe you do!
Recipe:
BETTER THAN DOUBLETREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is even BETTER than the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups chocolate chips (use your favorite kind)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS:
- Place oats in a small food processor or blender and grind until they turn powdery. Place them in a medium sized bowl and whisk in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. (No mixer needed – just use a wooden spoon or spatula!) Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and eggs. Stir until smooth, then stir in flour mixture. Mixture may be slightly lumpy because of the ground oats. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of the dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet. You do not need to space them; this is just for chilling. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cookies well spaced on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Slightly depress each ball with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 13-17 minutes. Do not over bake – these are best a bit under done.
So there you have it! My TOP three favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies and I know you can’t go wrong with any of them!
xoxo, Brandi’
4 Comments
You make the best cookies ever!! ❤️
Love Momma
Thanks, mom! I do make some yummy ones! 🙂
Just love it 🙂
Thank you!